Bicyclist killed in rare fatal crash NOT involving a motor vehicle

The blog Cycling International based out of New York City, reported on Sunday that a Queens woman died on Friday after receiving injuries sustained in a crash while descending from Alpine on Henry Hudson Drive.  This roadway is in the New Jersey portion of the Palisades Interstate Park and is a very popular alternative to cycling on much busier 9w.  This would appear to be one of those rare and still tragic circumstances where a cyclist was killed and a motor vehicle WAS NOT involved.  Over the past 6 years that WalkBikeJersey has been publishing we can only recall one other crash in New Jersey where a cyclist died from injuries sustained in a single vehicle crash (internet search returned nothing).  That other crash is remembered as having also involved a high-speed descent in a park.  No matter the cause, the death of a cyclist is always very sad and somber, and the hearts of the entire New Jersey cycling community go out to the family of the fallen.

Follow the link for the complete story in Cycling International.

 

View Henry Hudson Drive - Alpine Hill Descent in a larger map

Bicyclist Killed By Motorist On Route 10 in Succasunna

According to NJ.com a bicyclist was killed on Route 10 west near Main St just before the Route 46 merge in the Succasunna section of Roxbury Township. The article gives few details other than the crash occurred at 11 PM and the motorist was not charged.

We have seen this scenario many times before - a bicyclist killed after dark on a state highway and while there may be many factors the obvious constant is the configuration of Route 10.

• The speed limit is 50 mph
• The shoulder ends and becomes a weave lane
• Commercial driveways galore (poor access management)
• Sparse street lighting
• The sidewalk ends abruptly 

View Larger Map

Old School Traffic engineers can give you 50 reasons on why this design is a necessity, but not one of them would be to enhance the safety of the non motorized road user. Lets hope that when Route 10 is resurfaced or rehabilitated that DOT employs complete streets solutions.

And here is my final thought - if the victim was killed by a single engine aircraft landing on Route 10 the NTSB would be conducting a year long investigation. Think of the amazing success that NTSB has with airline fatalities and the continuing failure of our highway system to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim.

This post was originally produced by our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and ran in the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News on June 4th.  It is used with their permission.


According to NJ.com and Phillyburbs.com 24 Year Old Andrew Caprizzi of Paramus, NJ was killed Sunday Morning on Route 563 in Woodland Township south of Chatsworth. Andrew was attempting to make a U-Turn when he was struck by a woman driving a vehicle northbound. The driver was treated for her injuries at Deborah Hospital.

Andrew was warming up for the NJ Individual Time Trial Championship, which is held annually on Route 563, a rural two lane road with bike lanes, very few intersections and a speed limit of 50 mph in the heart of the Pine Barrens. Like many amateur time trial events, this race is conducted on open roads.



View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2013 in a larger map

According to his obituary Andrew worked as an Assistant Track Team Coach for Holy Angels School in Demarest, NJ and at the Running Store in Ridgewood, NJ. We are saddened by another tragic death by automobile in our region and our condolences go out to Andrew's family and friends.

130 Crash Update - Driver Charged And A Petition for a Pedestrian Bridge

Since Monday's fatal crash on US 130 in Delran that took the life of Christal Smith several developments have taken place

• Reports have suggested that Ms. Smith was crossing with the green signal 
• According to the Courier Post the driver of the vehicle has been charged with failure to observe a signal
• Local residents have created an online petition to replace the crosswalk with a pedestrian bridge.
• More than 1500 signatures have already been collected including the family of Christal Smith and friends of Melinda Stone, who was killed crossing at this intersection in 1993.

NBC 40 Raises Infrastructure Issue After Bicyclist's Death in AC

On the evening of March 14th, 26 Year Old Tariq Davis of Galloway Township was killed while bicycling in Atlantic City. The father of two children, Davis was going to his second job when he was struck by a left turning tractor trailer at the intersection of N. Rhode Island and Melrose Avenues in the City's North End. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Davis family. (Tariq Davis Obituary).

The tragedy occurred just one day after the final presentation of the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, and Channel 40 made the connection between safety and infrastructure. The video itself is a great snapshot of everyday bicycling in Atlantic City.

NBC40.net

20 Year Old Woman Dies on Route 130 - Can We Now Talk About Real Solutions?

Route 130 has been named the most dangerous road for pedestrians, For Delran Route 130 is the town's Main Street. 6 lanes divided by a pesky jersey barrier. According to Phillyburbs.com 20 Year Old Christal Smith of Delran was struck on Monday at 6:40 AM in the crosswalk in front of Holy Cross High School. She was heading to her job at Shop Rite in the nearby Hartford Corners Shopping Center. As is often the case the driver has not been charged.

The signal at this crosswalk is pedestrian activated, The crossing is unique because the right of way was sawcut into the jersey barrier. The irony is that this crossing was probably created in the name of safety.


View Larger Map
Even old school highway engineers would consider this an afterthought.

Delran would be a great place for officials to conduct a road safety audit, these audits are usually performed by transportation experts on foot and the results would create a priority list of engineering, enforcement and education solutions to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities.

Our condolences go out to friends and family of Christal Smith. Let's hope that this tragedy spurs the call for real changes on Route 130.

WBJ Exclusive: Driver charged with Chelsea Traynor's death ran red light

"I can tell you without a doubt that the truck ran the red light. It was a big 4x4 type pickup doing maybe 50mph."  That is what an eyewitness told WalkBikeJersey last week after we ran the story about Roger Hode being charged in the crash that took Chelsea Traynor's life.  Also according to the eye witness "she had the green light and that the truck ran the red light."

When WalkBikeJersey visited the site in December 2010, we looked at the signal timing specifically at how long it took to cross the intersection once the pedestrian signal button was pushed.  With this information it would seem likely that Chelsea took the time to wait until she had the proper signal and the right of way.  This new information makes her death all the more tragic.

Driver who killed Rutgers student charged in 2010 traffic death

The Star-Ledger is reporting that Rodger Hode of South River has been charged with aggravated manslaughter and death by auto in the December 2010 killing of Chelsea Traynor on Route 18 in New Brunswick.  On the morning of December 9, 2010 Traynor was crossing Rt 18 on her bicycle at the southern most intersection of George St when Hode's Ford pickup truck hit and killed her. 


View Bicyclist fatality Rt 18 and George St. 12/9/10 in a larger map

The then 21-year-old Californian Chelsea Traynor, of Concord, California was a sophomore, in the class of 2013, majoring in nutritional science at the university’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in New Brunswick, formerly known as Cook College.  She had previously studied at Humboldt State University in California and had recently transferred to Rutgers.

Site of the Traynor crash in December, 2010.

Traynor's death was the second reported bicyclist/pedestrian fatality on the newly renovated New Brunswick section of Rt 18.   The previous fatal crash was in October of 2009 when 15yo George Coleman was struck and killed just north of the George St intersection at Commercial Avenue.  WalkBikeJersey is thankfully unaware of any other pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities along this stretch of highway since Traynor's death.  WalkBikeJersey reverently visited the crash site in only a few days after the tragic events and investigated and photographed the facilities as they were at that time.

Our hearts at WalkBikeJersey reach out to the Traynor family and hope that justice carried out in her case.

Lambertville Man Ticketed In Route 1 Bike/Car Crash

Following up on the Route 1 crash that killed Aguedo Cruz on May 7, the Lawrenceville Patch reports that a 59 Year Old Lambertville Man has been charged with failing to obey a traffic control device. Cruz was travelling the wrong way at the Route 1/I-295 Interchange when he was struck by the driver.

The driver was cited for not staying in the lane by crossing over the painted channelization area as he was merging onto Route 1.

The stories on this crash have constantly been questioning the motive of the bicyclist to travel the wrong way down Route 1 through this dangerous merge.

• Let clarify one thing, this section of Route 1 is open to bicycle traffic. Bicycles are banned from the Trenton Freeway which begins about 1 mile south where Route 1 splits with Business Route 1.
• This entire stretch of Route 1 barricaded, that is to get from the northbound side to the southbound side you have to climb over the jersey barriers. The nearest crossover is more than a half mile north at the Quakerbridge Mall.
• Route 1 is a retail and restaurant hotel corridor, many of the jobs there are filled by low income workers, the same jersey barriers that inconvenience bicyclists make it nearly impossible for people who walk to transit to access those jobs. 
• The nearest alternate route between the Quaker Bridge Mall and the Trenton area for bicyclists involves a 5 mile detour via Quakerbridge Road (another monster interchange) and the Delaware and Raritan Canal). 

So the answer to the rhetorical question "Why was he there?" is because there were no other options.

Cruz and other cyclists who have been killed by motor vehicles were honored by last nights "Ride of Silence" events.

This report first appeared in The Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News and appears here with their permission.

The Princeton Patch reported that a 58-year old Trenton man was struck by a motorist while cycling and killed on US-1. The crash happened just after 9:30 on Monday morning at the merge with the off ramp from I-295. Aguedo Cruz, 59, died shortly after the crash at Capital Health System Regional Medical Center in Trenton.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Like many US Highway arterials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, US-1 is inhospitable for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, Route 1 is also a commercial corridor where people work, visit the doctor, and shop. Thus bicycle and pedestrian traffic persists despite previous efforts of highway engineers to make it nearly impossible to do so. This tragedy is another reminder that re-configuring our existing suburban road network to make Complete Streets is not only desirable but a matter of life and death.

We mourn the death of Aguedo Cruz and offer our sympathy to his family and friends.

Driver 3X over Legal Limit Gets 7 Years for Killing Cecilia Harrop

The below post originally appeared in the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News and is reproduced here with permission.  

According to the Courier Post, 40 year-old Daniel Stocklin pled guilty to vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 7 years a jail for killing tricyclist Cecilia Harrop, 39, in Brooklawn on July 7, 2010 (reported here). Stocklin’s blood-alcohol level was .246 at the time of the crash (the legal limit in NJ is .08.) The article notes that Stocklin was pulled over nearly a quarter mile away - technically a hit and run. The Judge has also suspended his license until 2020. Stocklin was also convicted of DUI in 1994.


View Bicyclists Crashes 2007-2010 in a larger map

• Four days after Ms. Harrop's death, 39 Year Old Manuel Albandoz was allegedly drunk, unlicensed, and driving a black Ford Taurus that did not belong to him when he fatally struck Celina Langan in the bike lane at Torresdale and Adams Avenues in East Frankford. This blog post suggest that Vehicular Homicide by DUI charges were dropped and bail was reduced. His attorney's quote was particularly disturbing.
• On September 14, 2010, 44 year old Thomas McCoy was killed by a drunk driver on Route 47 in Deptford, NJ. On February 6th, Mary Dalton pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and must serve out 85% of her sentence in jail. Sentencing is scheduled for March 16th and she could face up to 10 years in jail.
• Paul Jones, the man who struck and killed Randall Bratu on Baltimore Pike in Upper Darby on December 30th 2010, pled guilty and was sentenced for 3 to 6 years in prison plus 3 years probation and $15,000 in restitution. Last month, the Bicycle Coalition sent a letter to the court in asking for sentence stronger than the 3 year minimum for the offender.

Why were 3 Wayne boys crossing Rt 46 on a train trestle?

Simple!  There is absolutely no other way for the kids to walk or bike between the area neighborhoods and towns.

If you haven't heard, over the weekend two boys were hit and killed by an NJ TRANSIT train and another injured as he jumped off the trestle bridge to avoid getting hit (Read the informative and well written article from The Star-Ledger).  This tragedy happened at where I 80, NJ 23 and US 46 all intersect.  This interchange is locally know as the "Spaghetti Bowl" due to its seemingly endless and dizzying expanse of twisting, turning off-ramps and clover leaves.  Unfortunately this interchange was built in an era when no consideration was given to the needs of pedestrians or bicyclists looking to travel between the surrounding neighborhoods.  Even more unfortunate, at least one of the possible alternative crossings was given a major renovation within the past 15 years with nary a consideration given for anything other that the efficient flow of motor vehicle traffic.


View Location of Wayne double fatal NJ TRANSIT crash in a larger map

If you take a close look at the above map I prepared, you can see that there are no practical routes for miles around for non-motorized road users looking to travel north or south over both I 80 and US 46 anywhere near the NJ 23 corridor. 

Achor House bicyclist killed in Clinton Township crash

The Express-Times of Easton, PA reported the tragic death this weekend of Doug McCune as he rode as part of the Anchor House Ride for Runaways on Payne Road near Rt 31 in Clinton Township (1, 2).  At around 9am on Saturday mourning Mr. McCune reportedly crashed into the back of a stopped vehicle.  He was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center and was pronounced dead.  Mr. McCune's death is being called "a tragic accident."


View Larger Map

This is the second deadly crash in the 33 year history of the Anchor House Ride for Runaways which is considered New Jersey's and one of the East Coast's premier charity bicycle rides.  Unfortunately both of these deaths occurred in New Jersey on the last day of the ride.  In 1998 a 15-year-old Mercer County boy, was fatally struck by a car during the last leg of the fundraiser.  The Ride for Runaways is an annual, 7 day, 500 mile charity bicycle ride that exists to support Anchor House, a shelter for runaway and/or abused teenagers located in Trenton, NJ.

We at WalkBikeJersey extend our condolences to Doug McCune's family.

Bicyclist killed in Tabernacle

This crash report was first posted by our affiliates at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.  Reading the comments in the Phillyburbs article linked to below, it appears that the bicyclist was using a flashlight (possibly handheld) as a headlight.  All should know that New Jersey State Law regarding operating a bicycle at night reads as follows:

39:4-10 Lights on Bicycles
When in use at nighttime every bicycle shall be equipped with: 1) A front headlamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front; 2) A rear lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear; 3) In addition to the red lamp a red reflector may be mounted on the rear.

According to Phillyburbs.com - 23 Year Old Shawn Patterson was riding his bicycle on Old Indian Mills Road in Tabernacle, NJ when he was hit by a truck making a left onto the road from Route 206 at around 10:55 p.m. Patterson was flown to the Trauma Center at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

As you can see the intersection of the road a vehicle traveling 50 mph on US 206 can almost seamlessly veer left onto the Old Indian Mills Rd.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Shawn's family and friends.

Pedestrian deaths are always more than just statistics

I was reading The Star-Ledger today (yes, real newsprint) and came across the tragic story of the life and death of Joao Silva written by columnist Barry Carter.  It was so touching that I felt must be shared with you all.  Stories like this, that put a real human face on the statistics we hear about everyday, are important to remind us what's at stake.

Silva was the chef at St. Philip's Academy who had a knack for sneaking healthy vegetables into the school lunches without the kids ever noticing.  He was hit and killed while crossing Central Ave in a crosswalk directly in front of the school, as he walked to work back in early November.

Barry Carter's story about Joao Silva and his memorial service can be found here.

The original story about the fatal crash can be found here.

Was snow and ice a factor in fatal bicycle crash in Berlin, NJ?

The following was originally written by John Boyle and posted on the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News. It is reprinted here with the permission of our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

The Courier Post reports that an unidentified cyclist was killed in Berlin, Camden County near the intersection of White Horse Pike and Bishop Avenue on at approximately 11 p.m. Thursday January 13th.

The victim was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

It's not known whether the road conditions were a factor in the late night crash but given that it was only about 36 hours after the end of a 6 inch snowfall it is possible that slippery roads narrowed by plowed snow contributed to the crash.

Streets narrowed by plowed snow were cited in a fatal bicycle car crash in New Haven Connecticut where a 14 year old boy was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. New Haven received 19+ inches of snow in the January 12th storm.

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Brief bicycle news brief: Bicyclist killed in Toms River, more

I had no intention of doing this post but I came across some important news articles while searching NJ.com just moments ago.

Millburn Police seek witnesses in crash involving bicyclist on Old Short Hills Road
Independent Press • Sunday, December 26, 2010

Toms River bicyclist dies after collision with car
The Star-Ledger • Friday, January 7, 2011

Bike trail construction starts soon (in Camden)
The Gloucester County Times • Sunday, January 2, 2011

Bergen County Prosecutor calls hit & run pedestrian crash "vehicular homicide"

In an interview on NJN News on Monday, January 3rd, the Bergen County Prosecutor, John Molinelli is calling the hit-and-run crash that killed Dr. Paul Kudowitz "vehicular homicide." According to the report, Dr. Kudowitz was crossing Broad Avenue at 5:30 on December 24th as he was walking home from a Friday night prayer service at his daughters house for the Jewish sabbath.  Police found parts from the vehicle that hit Dr. Kudowitz and are looking for a mid 1990's Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban or extended cab truck that is either white or cream in color.

It is interesting to note that the Prosecutor is talking vehicular homicide at this moment without even knowing much about the driver.  Usually the only time this charge is used in a fatal pedestrian or bicycle crash is when the driver is drunk, otherwise impaired or in the act of committing a crime.  The NJN report says that Broad Ave were Dr. Kudowitz was struck and killed, is marked at only 25mph but that drivers routinely speed on this roadway.  This would seem to indicate that the prosecutor may be taking the likely speed of the vehicle into account in considering such a charge (pedestrians hit at 25mph are very likely to survive a crash).  Undoubtedly the driver will also be charged with hit-and-run along with any other charges.

All too often in the past, drivers who speed and kill pedestrians, are usually not even charged with anything or are given a slap on the wrist when they are charged with "failing to yield to a pedestrian," which is a couple of points and a few hundred dollar fine.  This is truly a cheap price to pay for taking a life.  In hit-and-run situations, if there is no other criminality, the driver will usually just be facing the hit-and-run charges with the minor "failing to yield to a pedestrian" charge.  While hit-and-run is a serious crime, it is secondary to the primary offense.  If the driver stops, they usually weren't charged with anything in the past, even if they were speeding.  It seems as if attitudes are changing, at least when pedestrians are rundown by motorists.

To see the NJN News report for yourself follow this link, click on "Monday" and advance to time stamp 14min 15sec.  The link will only be good for a week as there are no longterm online archives for NJN News and there is no way to directly embed the video here.

Cyclist killed in New Brunswick crash ID'd as California woman - Updated with photos of intersection

The Star-Ledger reported on Saturday that the woman killed in a crash on Rt 18 at Georges Rd in New Brunswick was 21-year-old Californian Chelsea Traynor, of Concord, California. Traynor was a sophomore, in the class of 2013, majoring in nutritional science at the university’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in New Brunswick, formerly known as Cook College. As of Saturday, no charges were filed against the driver.

Since the Google Streetsview imagery was outdated for this newer intersection I went out and visited the location, took some pictures so I and our readers could get a better understanding of the place and what could have happened to Chelsea Traynot. I went through the crosswalk to cross the northbound local lanes of Rt 18. Going over to the riverside it took exactly one minute to get the walk signal. Upon my return in took only 20 seconds. It also appeared that when traffic turning left from George Stgot the green light, all traffic on the northbound local lanes also came to a halt. I did not observe the operation of the light well enough to say that this was the case with 100% certainty.

It was rather somber to go to a place where someone had lost their life not even a week earlier and I took these pictures and show them here with the greatest reverence to the deceased.

Traffic turning left onto Rt 18 in the foreground. The green signal for these
drivers seemed to bring all Rt 18 traffic to a halt seen in background.A view of the approach to the intersection with George St.
A view of the approach to the intersection but further south along the highway.
Note the posted speed limit.

Rt 18 claims life of Rutgers student crossing on bike

MyCentralJersey.com and several other news organizations are reporting the death of a 21 female Rutgers Student 11:10 a.m Thursday morning who was crossing the local lanes of the highway with her bicycle at Georges Rd near the Cook and Douglas Campuses. This is the second fatality of a person crossing the northbound local lanes of Rt. 18 in New Brunswick. The previous fatal crash was in October of 2009 when 15yo George Coleman was struck and killed just north of the George St intersection at Commercial Avenue.


View Bicyclist fatality Rt 18 and George St. 12/9/10 in a larger map

We at WalkBikeJersey send our condolences to the unnamed victims family.