We were wrong.
It was worse than that.
Two cyclists had been killed, and by a deputy sheriff who had, it appears, fallen asleep at the wheel and crossed the road without stopping until he hit the embankment on the other side.
Kristy Gough was a pre-Olympic hopeful, and Matt Peterson was an avid athlete, of the adrenaline seeking sort. I didn't know them personally, but the cycling community feels these losses acutely.
An article by the San Jose Mercury actually appears to paint this as a cyclist at fault issue with such statements as:
Local cyclists noted that riders in large groups will sometimes ride two-abreast. The practice is not illegal but can be extremely dangerous on narrow, winding roads with a large amount of traffic.Nevermind that THESE riders were riding single file, according to some witness account I've heard through the grapevine, and that there was in NO way these riders were at fault. I much more appreciate the Sports Illustrated writer who states:
Witnesses said the moment of impact was preceded by no screeching of brakes. When it came to rest, the squad car was entirely in the wrong lane. A cyclist who came upon the carnage quoted the disoriented deputy as saying things like, "I must have fallen asleep," and "My life is over."This author also puts out a plea for drivers to simply SEE cyclists. I will add my voice to that plea. We've all had our near misses at the hands of drivers, and somehow we are being told by most popular media that we are at fault for riding with cars on the road.
So instead, we should add our carbon emissions, use up precious resources, not to mention spend tons of money on gas, and car upkeep? I don't think this is the answer for anyone.