Bike accident on Jetton at W Catawba Sept. 19
Sept. 19. [Update Sept. 20] The intersection of Jetton and West Catawba was partially closed around 3:30 pm after a cyclist and pick-up truck collided. Eye-witnesses said the cyclist was badly injured.
They said he was traveling from the north side of Jetton, where the Wells Fargo branch is, to the south side. His bike remained in the intersection as police conducted an investigation.
There’s no word on his condition but he was taken by ambulance to CMC Main in Charlotte.
New: Police say the driver of the motor vehicle will not be charged.
There were more than eight police cars on the scene with officers directing traffic away from the intersection, which was busy with late afternoon traffic.
Only a couple of blocks away “sharrows” painted on the Jetton pavement invite cyclists and motorists to share the road.
—Dave Yochum
Bicyclists should not b on the road with vehicles. It is too dangerous! They need to b separated to stay safe. People are too distracted and drive too fast!!
Sharing the roads sounds nice but it is life threatening!
Posted by Pam Liguori | September 19, 2023, 4:34 pmBicycles ARE vehicles under NC law and have just as much right to the road as a motor vehicle. People need to respect that and drive with more care.
Posted by Joe Dean | September 19, 2023, 4:47 pmBikes are vehicles with the rights to the road, but that’s also not a replacement for real infrastructure designed for bicycles.
People drive the way the infrastructure influences them to drive. On wide, multi-lane stroads, designed for speed and throughput, people drive fast and inattentively. That infrastructure signals people that higher speeds are safe. On narrow, single lane, residential streets with obstructions close to the street, people drive slow. That infrastructure signals people that they need to be more cautious in cars because they are no the first priority here.
Drivers’ personal responsibility is no substitute for infrastructure that prioritizes and protects cyclists and pedestrians. If we keep relying on “just drive more carefully” we’ll keep dying on our bikes. If we make it so cyclists have to act like and mingle with high speed traffic, only the strongest and most confident daredevils will ride bikes. We need “All Ages and Abilities” infrastructure, so your 7 year old child can ride to school, or your grandma can ride to play bridge. We need it to be pleasant, and fun, and better than driving. Do you want your child or your grandma sharing Catawba or Jetton with oblivious SUV drivers?
That area is a real problem. The peninsula is a popular cycling destination, with nice riding on the roads, Jetton park, and the MTB trail behind the neighborhood. Just across Catawba is bike route #5 through Magnolia and Liverpool, up to 77, and connecting to the greenway that goes down to Birkdale. But right there is a nightmare of car-oriented design. It’s very difficult or impossible to cross safely between those routes. It’s infrastructure that needs fixing.
But how many cyclists will have to die there before we stop saying “people should drive with more care” and actually make them care using better infrastructure?
Posted by Jeff Locke | September 20, 2023, 1:27 pmMaybe try getting the facts before posting. I witnessed the accident first hand. The bike blew through the intersection on a green light across the exit side of Jetton Road. Hopefully the kid will pull through.
Posted by Jp | September 20, 2023, 2:38 pmCAR/TRUCK VS BICYCLE…guess who wins and who loses???
I’ve seen plenty of cyclists that have no respect for the “rules of the road”. STOP signs to them means blast right through it.
I never want to see any cyclist injured or killed, but they have to know when they get on the road they’re taking a big risk in getting hit by a bigger vehicle.
Share the road sounds perfect until someone gets hit and killed.
Posted by JWS | September 19, 2023, 5:00 pmDid you know that when Idaho implemented their stop law (cyclists treat stop signs like yields, red lights like stop signs), cycling fatalities HALVED?
The law was written for cars, not bikes.
When drivers break the law, it’s for their own convenience. When cyclists break the law, it’s often for their own safety.
Posted by Jeff Locke | September 20, 2023, 1:29 pmI do hope and pray the cyclist is okay.
I hope that this will be a reminder for all drivers to stay alert and on the lookout for both bicycles and pedistrians.
People seem to be so distracted these days when driving.
Posted by DED | September 19, 2023, 5:11 pmI bike that intersection weekly for recreation and you have to be very careful of motorists that are not paying attention. I pray this cyclist is ok. Please remember whether we like it or not cyclists are considered pedestrians and have the right of way always. Frankly doesn’t matter what a motorist may think that is the law. Safety first always! 🙏🙏
Posted by Akiba Green | September 19, 2023, 6:09 pmBicyclists are not considered pedestrians – they are vehicles under NC law. They do not always have the right-of-way.
Posted by Joe Dean | September 19, 2023, 7:46 pmI’m sorry Akiba but you are incorrect. A bicycle must follow the same rules of the road as a motor vehicle. A bike is not a pedestrian UNLESS the rider is standing on the ground and walking the bike. Bicycles do NOT get consideration in crosswalks unless, again, the rider is walking across.
Many bike riders ride as if they belong to a privileged class. I have been flipped of for not stopping at a crosswalk for them. I do stop if they are walking across.
Everyone should remember that bikes are supposed to follow the ‘Rules of the ROAD’. Don’t believe me? Look it up.
Posted by Chris Conroy | September 20, 2023, 7:37 amAt 2:30 today at the intersection of Bethel
Church and W Catawba there was a pre teen cyclist engrossed with their phone, head down, not paying attention to traffic. I wasn’t sure if he was going to start to cross against against the light. Please advise your children to put down the phone and be alert!
Posted by ACS | September 19, 2023, 6:21 pmI was almost hit twice last week by inattentive drivers on their phones.
Please advise your adults to hang up and drive.
Posted by Jeff Locke | September 20, 2023, 1:32 pmEarlier, at 2:30 there was a pre teen cyclist at the corner of W Catawba and Bethel Church engrossed on their phone. None of his attention was on traffic and I worried he would cross the street against the light in front of my car. Phones, bicycles and 2 ton cars don’t mix well, please educate your kids to be attentive while cycling.
Posted by Aria | September 20, 2023, 8:05 amI ride a bike on public roads on average 50 miles/week, and it is amazing how many drivers have their heads down and buried in their phones. Additionally the number of drivers who will pass a cyclist on a busy street with oncoming traffic is incredible. As if the cyclist isn’t there, often with a foot or two of the bike This is illegal and happens to me 10 times a day.
There’s a lot of grumbling about inconsiderate cycling, but IIHS typically reports 1000 cyclist deaths per year, and I believe zero motorists have been killed by a cyclist. Please don’t project one cyclist’s bad manners on the rest of us.
Posted by Matt | September 20, 2023, 11:25 amMost vehicle drivers are on phones and not paying attention. Makes it dangerous for everyone. We were hit on motorcycle by a driver not paying attention. Drive andget off your phones!
Posted by Julia | September 20, 2023, 11:54 am