Posted on 12/10/2020 9:38:57 PM PST by BenLurkin
A group of cyclists were riding and had a Subaru hatchback "safety car" assigned to trail them when they were hit about 9:30 a.m. on southbound U.S. Highway 95 near Mile Marker 36, according to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Travis Smaka.
A southbound truck "entered into the group of bicyclists, some of them were traveling behind the safety vehicle, they were struck, the safety vehicle was also struck as well as some the bicyclists in front of the safety vehicle," Smaka said.
The five cyclists were pronounced dead at the scene, south of Boulder City and north of Searchlight. One bicyclist suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to University Medical Center, officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
sad, but why not follow protocol and be in front of safety vehicle? maybe 1 or more would be alive if the followe protocols (and all other biking laws).
I have a friend who has ridden from HB to Vegas. It is about a 350 mile ride. Checked Strava, I don’t think he was trying it again.
Maybe it was a climb and they were lagging the rest of the group?
I could never understand what possess bicycle riders to ride on highways, right next to traffic. IMO, that’s suicide.
so the safety vehicle should have lagged if that was the case - that is it’s job to be in back of group if they staop or lag etc etc.
There’s far more to this story.
So far, not one comment on the driver of the truck that hit them.
Why were bicycles on an interstate highway? I thought that was illegal b/c of the obvious danger.
Never mind - its a local highway not the interstate. Still...
“Authorities said the truck driver remained on the scene and commercial units were called to inspect the vehicle’s brakes, tires and overall function following the 9:40 a.m. crash.
Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Illia said the truck allegedly hit a safety escort vehicle that was following the group of about 20 bicyclists. Officials had initially reported that four people were injured, not including those who died.
The group was on an informal ride to celebrate one of the bicyclist’s retirement, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Witnesses told authorities the bike riders were struck by the box truck after it crossed into the bicycle lane.
Highway Patrol officials said the driver wasn’t believed to have been impaired at the time of the crash.”
They were on a us hwy. not interstate
I travel these roads frequently. They are your traditional deserted roads, wide open throttle
Driver was released, cooperated with investigators, and impairment does not appear to be an issue, officials said.
Look at the top pic. Bicycle debris are all over traffic lanes. Based on the only evidence available, I’d say they were moving dangerously slow in traffic lanes and got plowed by the truck.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/10/nevada-highway-bike-crash-bicyclists-killed-injured/3885268001/
[Weeks is familiar with the stretch of road where the crash unfolded. On Thursday, he struggled to imagine how the crash happened there.
“That shoulder on the side of that highway is wide enough to fit three cars,” Weeks said. “We don’t really know how somebody managed to get that far off the road. These were all very very experienced cyclists. It’s not like they accidentally rode off and into the road.”
It was not the first time those riders made the trip.
“These are people who ride 10,000 miles a year. Some race professionally,” Weeks said. “How did something like this mistakenly happen?”]
Sounds way too familiar!! Doesn’t sound like an accident. Terrorism?
"...There's far more to this story..."
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