Around 9pm she was hit from behind while standing in the left turn lane waiting for a green arrow, knocked into traffic and hit by two cars who both fled the scene.
Not clear what she was wearing in terms of hi-viz or lights.
This one is especially scary to me because of the circumstances. I often take the lane when standing at a light, and always do at a left arrow. . . Maybe need to reevaluate that—like standing broadside in the middle of the crosswalk and never standing in a left turn lane at night.
Be safe out there and may the fates protect you all.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/woman-riding-bicycle-fatally-struck-in-palo-alto-monday-night/
by bcberk
24 Comments
One of my biggest fears.
It doesn’t matter what she was wearing a smart and safe driver would have seen her.
two different cars fled the scene. horrible.
This is why i filter and stand in the crosswalk/bikebox. Drivers waiting at the light will honk at me and cuss me but i have never had one hit me.
This is awful…
Light rain spreads point sources of light. I always emphasize with the motorists. Know your enemy. Be prepared.
[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWXijmltZ3I)
Was she wearing a helmet/s
> hit by two cars who both fled the scene
This is the most despicable part. I have a video camera recording whenever I ride.
Horrible; I used to commute but now I just ride recreationally.
Still, these days I ride with a Cycliq Fly12 CE in front and a Garmin Varia RCT715 in the back because of too many ambiguous situations in terms of who might be responsible.
If you can, I suggest doing the same. Also consider a helmet mounted camera or a 360 degree one. At the very least, investigators might be able to use the footage to help identify the vehicle(s) and subsequently the driver(s).
The camera doesn’t lie and, if need be, it keeps the other party honest.
Unfortunately, we all know that the best way to kill someone (with as few consequences as possible) is to run them over in a vehicle and feign ignorance.
I hope the law catches up here sooner or later.
Depending on the intersection where the cars and cyclists could meet up in. It could be very dangerous for anyone that rides a bike.
Regardless of their experience while riding, or even if they are wearing visible pieces of clothing to alert drivers to where they are. Hopefully the drivers that fled the scene will be held accountable.
How much you wanna bet the initial crash was from the driver looking at their phone and wasn’t paying attention?! But in the end the cyclist will be blamed for their death, we’ve seen this played out way too many times. The driver of the initial crash will get a slap on their wrist, the two other cars won’t be found and nothing will change to improve safety for cyclists in this country.
I would be very surprised if someone was riding *in traffic* without bike lights at 9pm. (Whenever I see people riding without lights at night, they’re always on the sidewalk; they know better.) And [Embarcadero & Newell has a left turn lane](https://maps.app.goo.gl/cE25xwy6qHJZeH3n7), so the driver should have been slowing down and keeping their eyes on the intersection regardless. Absolute tragedy.
When I’m in the left turn lane I stay to the right and make a wide turn so that I am indicating to the drivers turning left that I am aware and trying to help keep traffic moving along. On the other hand, if there is no shoulder or bike lane on the road onto which I am turning, then it’s perfectly reasonable to take the turn lane. And don’t get me wrong, taking the lane is great advice in order to keep people from passing when there isn’t enough room.
It’s actually recommended for motorcyclists to take a left hand turn even if the light is red as soon as they are able (in some states, this is legal), or to keep going straight than to wait in the left lane for a green light to turn. If you’re not moving, you’re more invisible than normal. The same goes for cyclists.
[Look at the StreetView](https://www.google.ca/maps/@37.4431944,-122.1396559,3a,63.7y,85.02h,93.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGLLVy9gnlyt7vnorFqJYBg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) — there’s a marked spot for bikes to wait and presumably to trigger the sensor for an advanced left turn light, in front of the stop line for motor vehicles. If the driver that hit the cyclist was intending to make a left turn, they would have had a red left turn signal, and should have come to a stop where the truck is positioned in that StreetView image.
The news reports have police saying the driver that hit her had a green light, which would suggest they were proceeding straight through the intersection and somehow struck the cyclist who was apparently in the left turn lane.
This makes me anxious about the times I choose to use a left turn lane.
This is the scenario where IDGAF & run the red light if there’s no opposing traffic. Sitting in the left turn lane waiting to die is not my idea of a good time.
Rest In Power.
Cars are coffins.
I ride harder because of shit like this. Only a matter of time until Fate punches my number.
Man I hate we are even talking about what they were wearing or not. We no longer find this acceptable to do to SA victims and it needs to stop with victims of car violence.
Rain also makes it harder to stop. I’ve seen several collisions during light rain.
Look at google maps of the intersection. It even has bike sensor signals on where to stop.
The guy who is at fault for this didn’t flee, so he is likely going to get a slap on the wrist, if anything.
So much for take the lane, that’s not a well lit intersection but there is a fire station on the corner.
bright lights help. Debate is flashing light. I think people are used to and might miss steady red light. We evolved to see motion, flashing mimics that.
I also have a yellow reflector, kind you see on trucks, not big. My bro once drove behind me, thought that was a very visible bright yellow light.
This makes me so sad, but I’m jaded by it all. Just today I was crossing a zebra crossing, with green for pedestrians. An idiot car moron driver with green (not arrow green, just green) turned left, drove left oblivious to pedestrians and missed me by inches – a well lit street intersection at night.
Nobody’s safe from idiot drivers in the US. In Germany, if someone hit a pedestrian or bicyclist when so obviously fault, it’s automatic license loss + criminal charges. This strikes the fear of God into even idiot drivers.
I’ve cycled on this road many times
Chilling