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#1
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When Close to Home is Close to Home
This happened about 200 yards from my front door:
http://www.ahwatukee.com/afn/crime/a...s/041112b.html You can see the spot in my homepage photo: http://blair.houghton.net/ Pecos is the four-lane road with the wide median at the very bottom of the picture. The shrine is about midway between the two power-pole shadows that fall across it. I remember seeing the shrine (it's a hispanic thing; usually a cross and some plastic flowers, but it can be more elaborate) the day after it happened. I thought it was just another traffic accident. Then I read the story. It's now one of two shrines to cyclists killed within the confines of that photograph. The other is on the south side of the intersection of Liberty (the darker road with the center-turn lane) and 17th Street (the short north-south street on the left). It's for a 9- or 10-year-old boy, also riding in a bike lane, hit by a car 4 years ago. His family still maintains it. I ride past each of them four times when I'm doing my normal loop-ride, east on Liberty then west on Pecos. Anselmo's shrine is growing. Clearly a grandfather with a loving family. I was wondering if the local riders would add to it as well. Then on my third lap this morning I noticed someone had left him a water bottle. --Blair "Two wheels good." |
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#2
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"Blair P. Houghton" wrote:
It's now one of two shrines to cyclists killed within the confines of that photograph. It's for a 9-or 10-year-old boy, also riding in a bike lane, hit by a car 4 years ago. His family still maintains it. I wonder what the odds are on two separate cyclist fatalities (out of 7,000-8,000 per decade in the USA) happening within sight of each other. I also wonder if it was in spite of or partly caused by the bike lane. Mitch. |
#3
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Wow.. ****..
We recently got bike lanes in a major street, and the papers were FILLED with ****ed off people that were against the lanes. Mainly because the rode went from 4 lanes to 2 because of the bike lane additions.. so the car people werent' happy. Whenever I ride on these bike lanes, I'm afraid someone in a car is going to get ****ed off and take it out on me because they're stuck at a red light at 5:15PM. Mike "Blair P. Houghton" wrote in message ... This happened about 200 yards from my front door: http://www.ahwatukee.com/afn/crime/a...s/041112b.html You can see the spot in my homepage photo: http://blair.houghton.net/ Pecos is the four-lane road with the wide median at the very bottom of the picture. The shrine is about midway between the two power-pole shadows that fall across it. I remember seeing the shrine (it's a hispanic thing; usually a cross and some plastic flowers, but it can be more elaborate) the day after it happened. I thought it was just another traffic accident. Then I read the story. It's now one of two shrines to cyclists killed within the confines of that photograph. The other is on the south side of the intersection of Liberty (the darker road with the center-turn lane) and 17th Street (the short north-south street on the left). It's for a 9- or 10-year-old boy, also riding in a bike lane, hit by a car 4 years ago. His family still maintains it. I ride past each of them four times when I'm doing my normal loop-ride, east on Liberty then west on Pecos. Anselmo's shrine is growing. Clearly a grandfather with a loving family. I was wondering if the local riders would add to it as well. Then on my third lap this morning I noticed someone had left him a water bottle. --Blair "Two wheels good." |
#4
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I am Don Anselmo's daughter. A lot of people heard about my dad being
killed riding his bicycle on Pecos Road but most do not know how tragic the accident really was. I hope the bicyclists in this community are concerned. My dad was killed on a clear day at high noon on the straightest, flattest road in Phoenix. The first tire mark on the scene is the back wheel of my dad's bike in the middle of the bike lane where he was struck square from behind and then sent straight through the windshield. The driver tried to blame my dad for the accident but the police have already proven this impossible. The driver also admitted to smoking pot regularly but not that morning (just imagine what he could do under the influence). But it still doesn't matter to the police - as long as his blood is clean on that day, he will bare no responsibility. We still don't even have the truck's insurance information and the police don't seem to care and I'm sure that is against the law. The driver's mother also claims he has the mentality of a 14 year old - why would you let him drive? Anyway he'll be out there again. I'm asking the bicyclists in the area to put some pressure on the police to make sure this driver bares some responsibility. I know the case is still being reviewed and some attention and concern from other riders could help. Police report#042102018 |
#5
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I am Don Anselmo's daughter. A lot of people heard about my dad being
killed riding his bicycle on Pecos Road but most do not know how tragic the accident really was. I hope the bicyclists in this community are concerned. My dad was killed on a clear day at high noon on the straightest, flattest road in Phoenix. The first tire mark on the scene is the back wheel of my dad's bike in the middle of the bike lane where he was struck square from behind and then sent straight through the windshield. The driver tried to blame my dad for the accident but the police have already proven this impossible. The driver also admitted to smoking pot regularly but not that morning (just imagine what he could do under the influence). But it still doesn't matter to the police - as long as his blood is clean on that day, he will bare no responsibility. We still don't even have the truck's insurance information and the police don't seem to care and I'm sure that is against the law. The driver's mother also claims he has the mentality of a 14 year old - why would you let him drive? Anyway he'll be out there again. I'm asking the bicyclists in the area to put some pressure on the police to make sure this driver bares some responsibility. I know the case is still being reviewed and some attention and concern from other riders could help. Police report#042102018 |
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#9
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wrote:
I am Don Anselmo's daughter. A lot of people heard about my dad being killed riding his bicycle on Pecos Road but most do not know how tragic the accident really was. I hope the bicyclists in this community are concerned. We are concerned as is the newspaper writer, Lindsey Collom of Ahwatuke Republic, whom did a beautiful eulogy of your father Don. She also did an article called "Slow down, for Sarah" which emits a parallel concern for this "free for all Mad-Max driving philosophy" that most of society now considers an accepted norm and are tolerating with our other ills. We should email her (as I will) to encourage people in the media and politics to fight for safe streets, biking and health. police have already proven this impossible. The driver also admitted to smoking pot regularly but not that morning (just imagine what he could do under the influence). But it still doesn't matter to the police – as long as his blood is clean on that day, he will bare no responsibility. They are being killed in this madness like we are, we must convince the populous to craft new laws and transportation methods. I will think of your great dad, which served his family and nation so well, along with the many others untimely deceased, but not forgotten, as I ride these very hills Lance has in Texas. However we don't even have bike lanes here in Texas that I know of? However I would like to visit a state like AZ to see them, but apparently they are not effective. Even Rhonda Hoyt, who is co-owner of Richardson Bike Mart, the store that sold Lance his first road bike, with all her experience had a near fatal accident. http://www.interbike.com/interbike/r..._id=1000709036 God bless you and your father, that we witnessed his life on the Internet, for all the Holy Spirit. Mike |
#10
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My point that should concern any bicyclist or pedestrian is that
according to the Phoenix police investigating my father's death, it is not against the law to drive down the shoulder lane and kill someone as long as they are sober. I find that outrageous that there is NO penalty what so ever. My dad was riding in the center of the shoulder (bike lane) on Pecos Road not in the car lane. I was hoping to stir up the bicyclist in Phoenix to demand some penalty for the guilty driver for the good of all bike riders. Contact Ed Tuttle PPD 602-495-5862 to complain. Thanks |
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