You are hereUpdate x2: Unidentified cyclist struck in Thursday night alive but in critical condition.
Update x2: Unidentified cyclist struck in Thursday night alive but in critical condition.
Update 2.0.5: I fucked up! Typically I don't care when I screw up but in the case of an injured cyclist, I actually do. Sorry about that y'all.
Eileen (bicycle safety/advocacy dynamo and CREDIBLE source) just posted a comment with some additional information from the APD:
Unidentified Rider is Alive but in Serious Condition
Submitted by eileenstx on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 4:38pm.Word from APD is that the 5th & Nueces rider is NOT deceased. They cannot disclose the rider's identity. Has anyone been able to determine who the rider is through other sources?
I'm really hoping this is true, and that the rider is holding on. Does ANYONE know the cyclist?
.5: So I've heard this from 3 people now including a Statesman reporter. Same deals about not releasing the identity but they were assured by the APD that it WAS NOT A.J. Wiggins, as I'd mentioned previously. Awesome news (not so much for A.J.), keep y'alls fingers crossed for the unidentified cyclist.
Update: I'm a paranoid idiot who used circumstantial evidence to jump to a conclusion. IGNORE ME!
The Statesman posted the following death notice this morning. I assume this was the cyclist involved in the accident (no other 22-year-olds died over the weekend), but if not please correct me:
A.J. Wiggins
Death Notice
WIGGINS, A.J. 22, security clerk, of Fort Worth died Saturday. Visitation 11 a.m. and services noon Thursday, the Gabriels Funeral Chapel, Georgetown. Burial Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery, Pflugerville.
Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 5/27/2009
Did anyone know him? Some people are working on a ghost bike for the intersection, if anyone has a good length of chain to donate and a padlock they wouldn't mind never seeing again, please let me know. Thanks.
I just received the following unfortunate news about the cyclist mentioned in The Blotter that was struck at 5th and Nueces, allegedly while running a red light:
some sad news for you
the cyclist struck on 5th and nueces on the evening of friday the 22nd passed away due to severe head trauma, apparently he was not wearing a helmet.
I'm so sorry to hear this. No matter the circumstances the loss of life in a collision is a sad occasion. Please be careful out there y'all. Life is fragile and we can be demolished in an instant by a car whether we're following the letter of the law or blazing every light down congress. Always keep that in mind and take care of yourselves.
-- specifically the age of the rider, the part of town, and the rider blowing a red light heading downhill-- have me wondering whether the bike was a fixed gear.
Specifically I would like to know whether the injured rider was on one of the suddenly popular brakeless fixies that have proliferated like herpes among young riders, some of whom probably haven't been on a bike since they got their drivers' licenses.
Riding a bike isn't an intrinsically dangerous thing to do. But it can be made dangerous by bad decisions, like riding above one's skill level or using a bike without brakes. The population explosion of new riders who appear to be doing both these things has me thinking that there will be "statistical anomalies" in the rate of cycling accidents and injuries over the next few years.
We still love you Jason! And a "not dead" cyclist is a good thing. We'll take that news anyday.
Leslie Luciano
Community Relations Manager
Bicycle Sport Shop
www.bicyclesportshop.com
http://bssadvocacy.wordpress.com
twitter @BSS_Austin
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Word from APD is that the 5th & Nueces rider is NOT deceased. They cannot disclose the rider's identity. Has anyone been able to determine who the rider is through other sources?
Hey Jason, is your source reliable? The quoted text has the date wrong: "the evening of friday the 22nd".
I was just about to repost this news elsewhere when I noticed that discrepancy.
I wrote back to confirm the date and they corrected themselves. The news came from a local bike shop employee I consider reliable. They got the sad news from a customer who was an acquaintance of the deceased.
I've been looking for something in the news about it, and have not found anything.
there is a comment from someone who say the impact. sounds horrific.
http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/fitcity/e...
... and it does sound horrific, but I'd have expected it to make the news by now. Jason reported it over 24 hours ago, and he's the only one so far. Usually such news moves much faster than that.
The lack of any such reports brings with it the hope that a mistake or miscommunication was made somewhere. It's a long shot, I know.
Let's make sure we get ghost bike out there for him or her before critical mass, and demonstrate on friday
Matt