Runner Scott Birk killed in crash

There is so much about that article that is just tragic, especially after the Wisconsin runner Jenny Crain got hit under similar circumstances. RIP bro.

Italian distance runner Cosimo Caliandro, 3000m indoor champion in 2007 also got killed on the roads a few days ago.Very sad!

I was nearly hit by a car tonight (was only lightly bumped, very close to being much much worse, thank God I'm 100% unscathed) and this article really drove the point home. I'm going to reassess my avoiding-collisions-with-cars system (my original one was none-existent).

Be safe guys, assume drivers are distracted, and be cautious. I didn't think it could happen to me but it did and it could happen to you. It doesn't take much to be safe.

RIP brother.

According to the article it states that Birk ran against a red light? I find it hard to believe a runner with his experience and notoriety would do such a thing. I think the DA should subpoena/investigate the drivers cell phone records. Biggest reason why runners and cyclists alike are being hit and then they (drivers) point the finger at the athlete.

Oh and for you long dong silver - be safe.

"At long john silvers we love good food just like you do."

got hit by a car on a run last week

guy's dog was going crazy in back seat so he was distracted

if you up your milage shit starts to happen

I stepped on a dead rat last week also

so be carefull its a numbers game

I preach super-aggressive running to all athletes. Basically an "own the road" philosophy. Run in the middle of the road when you can, basically make yourself visible at all times from all directions. And of course, run against traffic.

This is a terrible story and my thoughts go out to this man's family and friends. Tragedies such as this one make me more aware of the little things we can do to stay safe.

I tend to think that pretending you're invisible on the roads is better. Never assume that a driver can or will see you. We have an advantage over cyclists who have to ride with traffic, be visible, and just pray that the over-taking vehicle sees them. We can stay on the sidewalks, or run a trail in the woods or in the park. I run all roads in the suburbs, so I practice the following:

If you're in the suburbs, run on the grass, or in the shoulder, or on the very side of the road, in that order. If a car comes along, get in the grass, behind the mailboxes. You just never know who's texting behind the wheel. By the time you do, it might be too late. I never assume that a driver can see me. Pay special attention to drivers making a right turn across your path at an intersection when you are on the left side of the road. Best chance of getting hit, right here. We as drivers get used to only looking left in this situation. Peds in the shoulder are not noticed.

Driver's have swerved away from me at the last second upon looking up from the radio or a cheeseburger. Even though I was not about to be hit, it's that kind of butt-puckering experience that makes me pretend that I cannot be seen at all.

Be careful out there! I was hit by a drunk driver while I was running about 15 years ago. Couldn't walk for a year and didn't really train for 2. Go to a bike trail if that's an option.

That is sad. If he crossed against the light, he put himself in a dangerous position. I admit that I cross against lights regularly, but I am super careful about it for sure. I will be more so now.

As for checking the cell phone records, so what if he was talking on his phone? He had a green light. There would be no reason to charge the driver.

Question mark wrote:

According to the article it states that Birk ran against a red light? I find it hard to believe a runner with his experience and notoriety would do such a thing. I think the DA should subpoena/investigate the drivers cell phone records. Biggest reason why runners and cyclists alike are being hit and then they (drivers) point the finger at the athlete.

Oh and for you long dong silver - be safe.

"At long john silvers we love good food just like you do."

This is excellent advice. At least it would give the family peace of mind in confirming what actually happened.

I am not saying the driver was using a cell phone - what I am saying is cell phone usage should be on a par with drunk driving. I would go as far to say a cell phone user is MORE impaired than a drunk driver (dependent on blood/alcohol levels).

Again, I am not saying the driver was using a cell phone, but without witnesses how do we know Scott was crossing at a red light. I just hope that accident investigation does their due diligence for the sake of the family.

RIP Scott.

Under Ultra wrote:

I preach super-aggressive running to all athletes. Basically an "own the road" philosophy. Run in the middle of the road when you can, basically make yourself visible at all times from all directions. And of course, run against traffic.

Your "super-aggressive running" preaching is going to get you in the newspaper someday.."Run in the middle of the road?" That is the stupidest advice I have ever heard.... How about you run with awareness of your surroundings and avoid heavily travelled roadways for a start.

"According to police, a Dodge Durango was traveling south on RM 2222 at River Place Boulevard about 9 a.m. when it struck a man who was attempting to cross FM 2222. The Dodge had the green light when the pedestrian ran out in front of it and was struck, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, who has not been identified, stopped to offer aid, police said. No charges are expected to be filed, they said."

Do learn to read people. And if you read the comments; one local commented that Scott was seen doing this all the time. Sure sounds like he just got complacent. In any case it sucks for his family and friends.

Miles Davis wrote:

Pay special attention to drivers making a right turn across your path at an intersection when you are on the left side of the road. Best chance of getting hit, right here. We as drivers get used to only looking left in this situation. Peds in the shoulder are not noticed.

And the *worse* the weather (or driving conditions in general), the *less* looking around drivers do.

You might think the opposite, but as weather gets worse most drivers tend to "lock in"--neck becomes rigid, eyes no longer move around but are focused straight ahead (I was going to say "dead ahead"--probably more accurate, anyway), just slightly past the hood of the vehicle.

In poor weather/visibility/etc., drivers don't even look for other *vehicles* anymore. They assuredly are not looking for pedestrians. YOU have to look out for THEM.

Oh, and never assume that right-on-red-turning drivers will make the full stop that the law requires. They don't. Thank goodness NYC doesn't allow right-on-red.

Wow, the comments attached to the news article show very little sympathy for the guy. To add insult, one of posters refers to him as a "jogger"!

I live near that intersection and came across the aftermath when police had the area cordoned off and traffic down to one-lane each way. I knew something serious was up as it was clearly being handled differently from the typical fender bender.

That intersection is tricky to cross. There are four lanes of traffic, plus a turn lane each way. And the kicker...speed limit is 60 MPH. There is a gentle bend in the road both before and after, but sight lines are decent. Still, at 60MPH, it doesn't take long for a vehicle to move a good ways.

I did not know Scott personally, but ran in many of the same races and knew of him. Thoughts and prayers out to his family.

Particularly tragic given that Birk was knocked down outside 3M, manufacturers of reflective clothing designed to prevent accidents like this happening. Jeez.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ScotchliteReflectiveMaterial/Scotchlite/solutions/activewear/

defensive running wrote:

Wow, the comments attached to the news article show very little sympathy for the guy. To add insult, one of posters refers to him as a "jogger"!

Most of the people in the neighborhoods that I run are friendly, wave and smile, and some I have talked with for awhile.

There are a couple oddballs who swerve to the side of the road where I'm running and I have to jump out of the way. Usually I don't quite see where they speed off too but one time I walked back to the guy's driveway and had a brief and friendly chat with him. He seemed very surprised that I did this. I didn't mention that he'd almost hit me with his car but of course he was quite aware of it and the reason we were chatting.

Sad news wrote:

Particularly tragic given that Birk was knocked down outside 3M, manufacturers of reflective clothing designed to prevent accidents like this happening. Jeez.

This does not make it more tragic...

Drivers f*** up from time to time and so do people. I won't speculate at all about whether Scott, or the driver, or both f***ed up here, and won't speculate about whether one, the other, or both voluntarily took a big risk or whether one, the other, or both made an error. Even careful, attentive people (drivers, walkers, joggers, and runners alike) do make errors from time to time. Usually they don't result in death, but occasionally they do. Worrying about who to blame here is not helpful to anybody.I realize this is easy for me to say living in a place where there are no 60 mph roads, but as a general rule, I make a point of avoiding running on high speed roads. Not only is the likelihood of being killed if struck higher on a high-speed road (getting hit at any speed obviously is not good, but getting hit at 60 mph is obviously virtually unsurvivable), but drivers' expectation of encountering pedestrians naturally is much lower on higher speed roads. I've never been to Austin, and I don't know anything about the neighborhood where Scott lives. For all I know, the only way he could have avoided running there was to run laps around his house. My point is not to blame Scott, but generally speaking, I don't recommend running on roads where traffic speeds are really fast.

austinite wrote:

I live near that intersection and came across the aftermath when police had the area cordoned off and traffic down to one-lane each way. I knew something serious was up as it was clearly being handled differently from the typical fender bender.

That intersection is tricky to cross. There are four lanes of traffic, plus a turn lane each way. And the kicker...speed limit is 60 MPH. There is a gentle bend in the road both before and after, but sight lines are decent. Still, at 60MPH, it doesn't take long for a vehicle to move a good ways.

I did not know Scott personally, but ran in many of the same races and knew of him. Thoughts and prayers out to his family.