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Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

topic posted Sat, February 24, 2007 - 7:24 AM by  Kelly 		Share/Save/Bookmark
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(Columbia) February 22, 2007 - A Columbia bicycle rider got hit by an SUV - then he got slammed with a ticket.

Tannie Dandridge is limping, in pain, still not sure how he ended up getting dragged up Harden Street under an SUV, "I just, I thought I was dead. Everything turned red and black underneath the vehicle."

The morning of January fifth, Dandridge was riding his bicycle to work in Five Points. He says he was in the crosswalk on Slighs Avenue, when a Ford Explorer making a turn on a red light pulled out and ran over him. "I'm not sure if I was snagged at some point, but I was definitely rolled and I could feel things breaking and popping and moving in the wrong direction."

"It's just painful to think about."

Bleeding and still stunned by what had happened, Dandridge says he managed to get up, walk over to the driver and ask for a ride to the hospital. Columbia police showed up a short time later, and it was then Dandridge says they added insult to his injuries.

It came in the form of a ticket and a fine. He was fined $232.50 for failing to yield right of way, with the charge misspelled by the officer. "They said we're giving you a ticket, failure to yield right of way, $232. And I laughed. I went, 'You're kidding right?'"

A police report says the bike hit the SUV at 15 miles an hour, though damage to the vehicle was estimated at only $50.

Dandridge on the other hand, suffered far more. "My left arm was broken. They had to do surgery on it to put it back together. My left ear was nearly ripped off - scar here across my eye. My right shoulder is dislocated, the ACL joint."

Dandridge says he's run up huge medical bills and has no insurance. He hasn't worked since the accident and says he, his wife and daughters are close to getting evicted. And Dandridge says police charged him based solely on the SUV driver's version of events, "If they had asked me, I would have told them what happened."

A Columbia police spokeswoman says an officer did speak with Dandridge before he went in for X-rays. His attorney said if the light was indeed red, anyone in the crosswalk would have the right of way, whether riding a bike or on foot.

Dandridge was scheduled to appear in court Friday morning and could have paid his fine. Instead, he has asked for a jury trial.

Reported by Jack Kuenzie

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A tv station did a story on this, and apparently there was a witness that stated the SUV did indeed turn on the red but they weren't sure if the cyclist's crosswalk had a green walk sign. I'm wondering if he was in the crosswalk, was he in the wrong since he should not have been cycling on the sidewalk. Thoughts?
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Kelly
offline Kelly
South Carolina
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  • Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

    Sat, February 24, 2007 - 9:59 AM
    a Bike does not have to move out of the way for a car-What if it was a little sportscar in front of the SUV? Does that sportscar HAVE to yield, ie, get out of the way so the SUV can make the right turn?
    Bikes have the same rights and responsibilities as autos.
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    • BILLY
      BILLY
      offline 0

      Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

      Thu, June 5, 2008 - 3:01 PM
      IN SC A BIKECYCLIST MUST BE ON THE ROAD AS IF IT WERE A CAR IF ON THE SIDE WALK THEN HE WOULD BE WRONG I KNOW I HAVE TO WRITE A TICKET AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR THIS ( NOT TO TAKE UP FOR ANYONE ) BUT WRONG IS WRONG
      P.S. I ALSO RIDE A BIKE AND MUST OBAY THE LAW AS EVERYONE HAS TO OR PAY THE PRICE IN MY CASE MY JOB
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

    Mon, February 26, 2007 - 1:31 PM
    Whilst not wishing injuries to anyone, many cyclists do not get it. The mum who with a kid (both on bikes) rode across a crosswalk without stopping, looking and then looked aghast wehn I sttod my car on its nose. Lucky I was slow.

    But they are not alone. I'm a cyclist as well as a driver and am all too often ashamed to admit that I'm a rider when I see cyclists routinely ignore traffic signals, lights, etc.
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    • Benj...
      Benjamin
      offline 71

      Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

      Mon, February 26, 2007 - 2:05 PM
      Graham, how does this relate to the above story? The bicyclist was hit by an SUV turning on a red light. The reporter does not say which crosswalk the bicyclist was in, but does not say the bicyclist was breaking a traffic law. It also seems clear the officer who cited him was not present when the accident happened (otherwise that would have been ride to the hospital.)

      It seems pretty likely the SUV driver got spooked when the hosipal staff called the cops & made up a story to cover his ass while the bicyclist was being treated.

      Yes, it's true some bicyclists sometimes break traffic laws. The same can be said of SUV drivers, no? I think, among other things this story is pretty good example of how people use the worn out canard that bicyclists are alway running stop signs & red lights to build a bias against them in all circumstances.

      Even when when car & SUV drivers can often be found running stop signs & breaking other traffic laws (as well as double parking). All this never gets weighed in the balance, because most people still believe the road belongs to cars & trucks, and bikes are infringing on their territory.
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      • Unsu...
         

        Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

        Wed, February 28, 2007 - 7:49 AM
        I read the article that the cyclist was riding in the crosswalk, if that's not the case then I agree with you.

        How it relates? My point is that many, many cyclists simply ignore traffic rules when it suits them. Whist I abhor those drivers who believe that cyclists should not be on the road (I have a relative who is adamant that should be the case), we cyclists do little to get drivers onside with our views and needs.

        Try standing at Market and Montgomdery for a few minutes during the day.

        I may have made a stretch in reading the story, but how on earth do you come to your conclusions about the SUV driver?
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        • Benj...
          Benjamin
          offline 71

          Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

          Wed, February 28, 2007 - 11:37 AM
          I looked but can't find where it says in the South Carolina DMV Driver License Manual that a bicyclist is required to yield the right of way to an automobile driver when he's turning on a red light. www.scdmvonline.com/DMVNew/forms.aspx

          Either there are some holes in the story or the cops weren't at the scene in order to assess who was at fault & correctly issue the citation.

          Also, I'm not sure how being "in the crosswalk ... when a Ford Explorer making a turn on a red light pulled out and ran over him" makes him at fault in your eyes. If he were riding against a red light, then that would be another thing. But the way it's written, he just as easily could have been stopped at the corner waiting for the light to change and on one of those wide suburban roads where the corners of the crosswalks reach out into the intersections beyond the rounded sidewalks.

          If his being in the crosswalk was breaking a law (or if he was running the light), then why wasn't he cited for that? The citation seems completely made up to me.
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          • Unsu...
             

            Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

            Sat, March 3, 2007 - 6:27 PM
            Since when are cyclists entitked to ride in crosswalks? They are road users and need to follow the rules of the road like everyone else.
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            • Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

              Mon, March 5, 2007 - 6:33 PM
              I think there's a motor vehicle law that states motorists shouldn't run over other road users.
              2 wrongs don''t make a right, but that doesn't give anyone- not even an H2 driver- the excuse to practically kill someone over a traffic infraction.
              In many muncipalities it is legal to use the crosswalks to cross streets. Those laws were put on the books mostly because motor vehicle traffic made it so heinous to operate a bike like a motor vehicle in an environment where the motor vehicle reigns surpreme- above the law even.
              Speaking of being above the law, wheres the ticket to the motorist for blasting through a red light without stopping long enough to see another road user in its path? or the possibility of an arrest for vehicular manslaughter?
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            • Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

              Sat, March 17, 2007 - 6:17 PM
              In most states, a cyclist has the option of either making turns as a car does OR moving into the crosswalk and using that to cross the street(S). If the cyclist chooses the crosswalk option, they must act as any other pedestrian is required to act - obey signals, walk their bike, and the like.

              Of course, this is a bit confusing because in most states a pedestrian, in the end, has the *absolute* right of way regardless, and all vehicles (including bikes) are required to yield the right of way to them, even if this involves stopping.

              Another reason to operate like a car does ...
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            • Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

              Mon, March 19, 2007 - 4:18 PM
              There is the rule of rules and the rule of law.
              Which set of rules are you referring to?
              Which set of rules do you utilize when behind the wheel of a car, and which set of rules do you utilize when you are in a bike seat?

              To put it in perspective, the majority of road users (ie motor vehicle operators), typically transcend the rule of law on average 2.5 times per mile. Would you define that as abiding by the rule of law, or mixing it up with the rule of rules?
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  • Diane
    Diane
    offline 83

    Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

    Wed, February 27, 2008 - 12:47 PM
    If you read this again, see if you see it the way I do:
    "A police report says the bike hit the SUV at 15 miles an hour, though damage to the vehicle was estimated at only $50....if the light was indeed red, anyone in the crosswalk would have the right of way, whether riding a bike or on foot."

    Okay, if the light was red, anyone crossing *in front of* the SUV would have the right of way. So the bike (riding with his green light) comes across the intersection from the left and the SUV pulls out to turn right on red and the bike hits the SUV going 15 mph. That's the way I read it. The SUV did not have the right of way because HE WAS TURNING RIGHT ON RED.

    Now, if the bike was headed the same direction as the SUV and the SUV turned right on red, the bike would have been running the red light -- as would anyone in the crosswalk crossing against a red. But I still don't see how the bike would get a ticket, because the SUV doesn't have the right of way. His light is red, too. Nobody has the right of way going in that direction. The bike *would* get a ticket if the police see him cross the street against the red. But he never made it across.

    Definitely a case of a cop who doesn't like bikes.

    And, I'll say, I'm guilty <<raising hand>> of running stop signs and red lights (if I can see far enough in advance that nobody's coming), usually because I dread trying to start up a hill from a dead stop. I'm lazy.

    Question: Did the SUV signal that he was turning right? If I was preparing to run a red light and I saw a car with a right -turn signal sitting there, I wouldn't do it. Maybe the SUV needs a ticket for not signaling a turn?
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    • Angr...
      Angry Butterfly
      offline 104

      Re: Cyclist hit by SUV, then given a ticket

      Sat, June 7, 2008 - 2:32 PM
      Like the above poster, It really depends on who was breaking the law, including the laws of common sense. If the person in the bike ( i reserve the term "cyclist" for those who respect the rules of the road) was indeed riding on the sidewalk and into the crosswalk, sorry, but he deserved the ticket. Injured drivers who break the law still get tickets. Just because someone is on a bike doesn't mean that they don't have to obey the law or use common sense.The reason traffic rules are there is to keep people from getting hurt. So if you disobey the law, then get hurt, I really have no sympathy for you. I'm not going to defend you just because you use the same kind of transportation as me. Riding a bike carries the same responsibility as driving a car and rightly so.

      My problem with people who ride against traffic and on the sidewalk, and in crosswalks, and run red lights is that they reinforce the misconception that bikes are dangerous or toys and not real transportation. If I were a cop I would probably be more likely to ticket someone on a bike for breaking the law because I'm biased towards cycling, not the other way around.
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