What was supposed to be an easy Saturday training ride turned into a nightmare for local triathlete, Heather Gillespie. Riding north on PCH with a group of about 7 other triathletes, Gillespie was struck on the side by an erratically driving RV. The group was just past Gladstone's when the accident occurred. The four riders behind Gillespie reported nearly being struck by the RV, as did members of the Los Angeles Triathlon Club, who were riding further south at the time of the accident.
The RV driver pulled over a quarter mile down the road and kept his mouth shut while triathlete Jim Davidson reamed him. Emergency crews and the California Highway Patrol attended Gillespie, who suffered a broken pelvis, and extreme road rash. She thankfully is expected to make a full recovery.
PCH is notoriously dangerous for cyclists, especially at this time while several construction projects are underway along the stretch of PCH through Malibu. The roads (as of yesterday) were scored for pavement, making this already sketchy road practically unridable for cyclists.
For more information about construction on PCH, go here. And to bitch CalTrans out for not taking the time to create proper bike lanes during this phase of construction (when it would've been so easy), contact Senator Sheila Kuehl, who helped create the PCH Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Those "share the road" signs (see above) aren't enough. The road needs to have a separate bike lane, because idiots like that RV driver obviously can't share the road, and unfortunately he is ot the only person on PCH who drives like a selfish maniac.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment