This is why we have a three-foot passing law.
According to the Victor Valley News, a 47-year old man died after he was struck from behind while riding on Ranchero Road near Lassen Street in Hesperia Friday night.
Hesperia resident Ryan Dennis Angus was riding west on Ranchero around 8:27 pm when he was struck in the head with the wing mirror of a passing utility truck.
He was flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where the San Bernardino coroner’s office reports he was pronounced dead at 10 am Saturday morning.
A street view shows a wide-open two lane roadway with a minimal dirt shoulder.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. No word on whether he will be ticketed or charged as a result of the crash.
However, this crash could not have happened if the driver had given the victim the minimum three-foot passing distance required by state law.
This is the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Bernardino County. He is also the sixth bike rider to be killed in Hesperia since 2011.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ryan Dennis Angus and his loved ones.
Was the cyclist wearing a helmet?
How much good do you think a helmet designed for 12 MPH impacts is going to do when someone is whacked in the head at 55 MPH?
Yes it would have absorbed a good amount of the initial impact. A little foam can go along way.
No word on whether he had a helmet. But as inlandfiets, points out, whether that would have done any good depends entirely on the speed of the truck. Which also wasn’t mentioned.
Helmets are not required for adults. and as mentioned might not have provided enough protection from this impact to matter. Rear reflectors are required – if you want to go “victim blaming” start there – but the point is a motorist clearly violated the 3 feet for safety law (unless the cyclist merged into the truck’s path) so there needs to be a citation – and not allow this kind of crime to be swept off the road as an “accident”.
“What are the penalties for violating the “3 feet for safety” law?
For a violation that does not result in an injury, the law sets a base fine of $35, which becomes a $233 fine for the driver once court and administrative fees are added. For a violation that involves a collision that injures a bicyclist, the base fine is $220, which becomes a $959 fine for the driver. This penalty is equal to the lowest fine imposed for reckless driving with bodily injury.”
(https://bikeeastbay.org/GiveMeThree)
What are the penalties for littering?
PENAL CODE – PEN
PART 1. OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS [25 – 680] ( Part 1 enacted 1872. )
TITLE 10. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY [369a – 402c] ( Title 10 waste matter that escapes or is allowed to escape from a container, receptacle, or package.enacted 1872. )
374.4.
(a) It is unlawful to litter or cause to be littered in or upon public or private property. A person, firm, or corporation violating this section is guilty of an infraction.
(d) A person, firm, or corporation convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished by a mandatory fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) upon a first conviction, by a mandatory fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) upon a second conviction, and by a mandatory fine of not less than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) upon a third or subsequent conviction.
So a $220 fine for injuring a cyclist by not giving 3 feet of safety is less than the minimum fine for first offense littering… and we know how much that law keeps motorists from littering from behind the wheel.
We offer up our prayers for the family and friends of Mr. Angus.