Jogger wearing headphones hit by cyclist

Clearly, the jogger caused this accident. I mentioned that in my first post, so don't get your panties in a wad. I just know from experience that many cyclists fly around that particular bike path way too fast, so it's not much of a surprise that there would be massive collisions every now and again.

Which is why the cyclist called out to her. She clearly had her iPod turned up to a level because she didn't want to be able to hear things like cyclists warning that they're passing.

You're the one who came on here with "your panties in a wad" over cyclists, clown. Funny that the one lethal collision that has been reported had none of the things you, in your panties-wadded state, felt the need to cry about on this thread. So your thoughts, outside of that first sentence, are wholly irrelevant. I'm not a cyclist and I generally find them a nuisance, but let's at least be honest when we're going to try to call them out.

Anyone who has run on the Katy Trail has bitched about cyclists riding too dangerously, and for good reason. Some people have tried to ban cyclists from the trail altogether, which is why the cyclists get all wound up in the comments section. Bike path collisions shouldn't kill people.

Okay, here is how it works in my city:

Train > Bus > Cars > Cyclists > Runners

We have train tracks for trains.

We have bus lanes for buses.

We have roads for cars.

We have bike lanes for cyclists.

And, we have paved trails for runners.

At least once a week the vehicles will mix in some way. A bus will smash a car trying to make a move in the bus lane. A car will smash a cyclist in the bike lane. A train will smash a bus, etc.

When people stick to their areas tragedy rarely happens. The sad thing is that it's usually the bigger vehicle infringing on the area of the smaller vehicle.

Well, all I can do is thank you for dedicated service in valiantly defending this ridiculous messageboard from harmless speculation about a running-related news story.

no. it's similar to if a sober driver hit a cyclist who decided to weave out of a bike lane and into a car lane without bothering to look to see if a car was approaching.

btw, where do you get that it's a "running trail"? i thought that it was a dirt trail open to all types of people and activities.

You just described the sport of running perfectly, and I am a runner, you may want to watch where you throw those stones.

da truff wrote:

Cyclist are some of the most arrogant pricks I have ever met. The spandex superman outfits are a reflection of their egos and terrible personalities. Drugged up consumer driven a$$hole$. Their equipment is merely a status symbol. A new way to keep up with Joneses.

Citizen Runner wrote:

Precious Roy wrote:

Katy trail is a bad design. There is plenty of room on the old rail right of way for a dedicated hard surfaced bike trail and a soft crushed granite runners/walkers only trail.

Curiously the accident apparently happened on a section of the trail that had separate multi-use and walking paths, but the jogger was on the mult-use part.

Most people end up on the multi-use part because the pedestrial trail is too small and has a lot of walkers. They built the multi-use trail first. Everyone is used to being on that trail, both runners and cyclists. They should have a cylce only trail instead of multi-use. And they should have done a wider crushed granite trail instead of the skinny asphalt trail. Point is that the trail design and construction is always given second class status. Where I am, a big loop trail is up for reconstruction. They are putting in a single concrete trail. Everyone has suggested a separate running trail. City planners have no clue and are not even considering asphalt for a softer surface because of erosion problems. There is more than enough room for a dual trail system. But, the City won't put up a penny.

From the comments here and responses to the linked story, one thing is clear. It's that there's no consensus on proper behavior (beyond blatantly bad practices). Some feel the runner was at fault, some the cyclist. Somehow people need to first decide on the rules of the road/trail and be educated on that proper etiquette. Then they need to practice it, reinforce positive behavior in others and question bad behavior.

I run, bike and drive and witness bad practices from all three groups, including myself in all these activities. Drivers seem to be consistently bad, while runners learn bad behavior on the trails over the winter months when cyclists are indoors on their trainers. We start taking up both sides of the trails when in groups and we more often wear iPods, perhaps because we run alone when friends choose indoor activities due to the cold. Cyclists are pretty bad in spring when they've forgotten to yell out that they're passing or have forgotten how far in advance and how loud to give notice. They are also bad when pretending their little group is a race peloton.

You have been to Dallas maybe twice in the last year and would doubt you have ever been on that trail...stop!

I don't know we don't adopt the skiing conduct code to all human powered activities. I don't remember them exactly but they are just common sense. Respect all others on the slopes. Stay to the edge of the trail if you are walking down. Control your speed and direction at all times. You are free to overtake people, but you are responsible for doing it safely and must choose a line and speed which allows you to avoid a collision no matter what the person below you is doing. Skiers are supposed to ski in a predictable manner, follow the fall line and not stop in the middle of the trail but crazy stuff happens. People catch edges and crash unexpectedly all the time. Sometimes they are just boneheads who are in way over their head and traverse the trail side to side in a snow plow using the whole piste. None of the above is an excuse for plowing into them at a rate of speed at which you can't maneuver and avoid the accident.

In this case, it is crystal clear that the runner was oblivious and just pulled a sharp U turn with out checking to see if anyone else was overtaking. Dumb move and it unfortunately cost her life. The other side is the cyclist couldn't react and avoid the collision. What if the runner rolled her ankle, was chased over by a dog, stung by a bee or startled for some reason causing her to suddenly change her course? All the calling out in the world wouldn't have helped the cyclist then either. The cyclist still would have collided with the runner. People have a duty to act in a predictable manner but I also think people should assume the unpredictable can happen and proceed accordingly. It this means a lot of slowing down and stopping, well, maybe less croseded time or less crowded path would be more appropriate.

I personally think bike trails are terrible places to run a workout or ride a road bike. They are set up for recreational purposes, not performance driven activities. If you want to fly around on a road bike at 23 mph or rip off sub 5 minute miles find a nice side road somewhere or go to the track (I have no problem yelling at moron walkers in lane one at a track). The closing speeds of road cycling amd running are way to fast for walkers or children to react. If they do react, they are often startled into reacting in wrong way making a bad situation worse.

I prefer to keep the ice cream set on the bike paths and leave the roads and tracks to the fast.

If you are going to make a sudden turn wearing head phones or not it would make sense to at least turn round to look where you are going. Another runner or cyclist is bound to go into you

Although if the trail was really crowded the cyclist should be going slower.

Unless there is a speed limit on the trail, even though tragic, it is the runners fault

thank you for providing one of the few intelligent and productive responses on this thread. spot-on.

last spring, a woman was running along the national mall, then turned and attempted to cross constitution avenue (a major, six-lane road) against the signal and was run over by a truck who did not see her. she was wearing headphones and could not hear the truck coming.

i'm continually baffled by people who run outside, on streets or multi-use trails with headphones on. in my opinion you should leave your headphones at the treadmill to be aware of your surroundings at all times. i do not understand how people can place such little importance on their safety.

personally, when i ride my bike, i find it easy to spot a person with headphones on. i always slow down and give them extra space because i assume they cannot hear my warning. however, this should not be held against the cyclist here. it's not his fault the jogger chose to isolate herself from her surroundings on such a heavily-traveled trail.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

If you are going to make a sudden turn wearing head phones or not it would make sense to at least turn round to look where you are going.

She probably did look around when she turned, and there was nothing she could do, or else she would have gotten out of the way. Unfortunately the cyclist was going too fast and killed her.

Headphones or not, the same thing would have happened to any runner, walker, child or adult making a turn at that moment.

I don't get anyone who thinks the deadly crash was caused by the runner. She did not run into anyone. Her actions did not cause the death of anyone. Her death was caused by the cyclist. I am saddened by her death, sad for her friends and family, sad there are people who think it is ok to murder a runner, because they think the runner did not move the right way.

u r a clown wrote:

Plus the cyclist called out that he was passing. What should he have done, slowed to tap her on the shoulder and ask her if it would be okay to pass her?

yes exactly! cyclist absolutely need to slow down as to not cause any accident.

in this case the cyclist is at fault. the jogger has the right-of-way

It's only murder if it's intentional. If the cyclist was going too fast, then they are partially at fault, but it does not take much at all to knock over someone who is not paying attention.

The jogger however was on the wrong trail, with headphones, and turned without checking if it was safe. Clearly they are to blame.

I don't know about you guys, but I ALWAYS run against traffic. I like to see what is coming at me.

Years ago, an entire high school cross country team was wiped out by a car from behind. I've been running towards traffic ever since.

your post makes no sense.

(1) she clearly did not look when she turned around otherwise she would have seen the bike. why are you speculating that she probably did turn around when nothing even remotely points to this?

(2) no headphones and she would have heard the biker. why is that so hard to comprehend?

(3) she actually did run into someone -- the bike. it's no different than running on the side of the road with traffic and then suddenly jumping 3 feet to the left and then getting hit by a car from behind.

(4) her actions caused the death of her.

(5) murder? excuse me? look up the word before you use it incorrectly again.

ok. you now can go back to your grade school homework.