Garbage Truck that killed cyclist in Petworth still not identified? What's going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Someone that is panicking.

But in this case, it sure sounds like the bike was in the truck's blind spot as it went into a right turn. That's a risky situation with any vehicle, but especially with large ones.

Please try using "they were in my blind spot and I didn't check for them" in your court appearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Someone that is panicking.

But in this case, it sure sounds like the bike was in the truck's blind spot as it went into a right turn. That's a risky situation with any vehicle, but especially with large ones.

Please try using "they were in my blind spot and I didn't check for them" in your court appearance.

Those cases don't even make it to court!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

So he just drove off and ditched his truck for funsies. Sounds very normal and not sociopathic, so par for the course for drivers in this area.

The article doesn't say the driver ditched the truck. Did you read that elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

So he just drove off and ditched his truck for funsies. Sounds very normal and not sociopathic, so par for the course for drivers in this area.

The article doesn't say the driver ditched the truck. Did you read that elsewhere?

+1. Can you please link to an article with that detail? Or did you make it up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article says the driver has been identified but not charged.

With help from MPD's Real Time Crime Center, the trash truck was later found in Hyattsville, Maryland, according to police. Detectives also said they identified the driver. The driver has not been arrested, and police could not comment on any potential charges.

I wonder if the people on the bike were operating it recklessly? There were 2 people on that bike - tandem bikes shouldn't be on anywhere except wide paths and trails.

It sounds like it was two people on a regular ebike in a classic right hook situation. The truck driver almost certainly didn't see them and may not have even known he ran them over. The truck driver was clearly at fault and should have been driving more carefully and been more aware of his surroundings. That said, the person driving the ebike should have had more situational awareness, it's super dangerous to ride up beside a vehicle on the right and a bike will lose to a garbage truck every time.

Can you please link to an article with that detail? Or did you make it up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article says the driver has been identified but not charged.

With help from MPD's Real Time Crime Center, the trash truck was later found in Hyattsville, Maryland, according to police. Detectives also said they identified the driver. The driver has not been arrested, and police could not comment on any potential charges.

I wonder if the people on the bike were operating it recklessly? There were 2 people on that bike - tandem bikes shouldn't be on anywhere except wide paths and trails.

It sounds like it was two people on a regular ebike in a classic right hook situation. The truck driver almost certainly didn't see them and may not have even known he ran them over. The truck driver was clearly at fault and should have been driving more carefully and been more aware of his surroundings. That said, the person driving the ebike should have had more situational awareness, it's super dangerous to ride up beside a vehicle on the right and a bike will lose to a garbage truck every time.

Can you please link to an article with that detail? Or did you make it up?

It was in the article linked in the OP?

Two people on one ebike: “ When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman who had both been riding an e-bike suffering from injuries.”

This describes a right hook crash: “ MPD officials said its Major Crash investigations unit determined the trash truck and the e-bike were traveling northeast on Kansas Avenue and came to the intersection with Upshur Street at the same time. Investigators said the truck made a right turn onto Upshur Street when the front right section of the vehicle hit the e-bike.”

The rest is me describing how it’s dangerous to ride a small vehicle (e-bike) on the right side of a large vehicle (garbage truck) even if you legally have the right of way on the bicycle as a vehicle going straight because they might turn into your path. Oh, and I gave the driver the benefit of the doubt in assuming he didn’t see them and run them over on purpose.

Did I miss anything you were concerned about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article says the driver has been identified but not charged.

With help from MPD's Real Time Crime Center, the trash truck was later found in Hyattsville, Maryland, according to police. Detectives also said they identified the driver. The driver has not been arrested, and police could not comment on any potential charges.

I wonder if the people on the bike were operating it recklessly? There were 2 people on that bike - tandem bikes shouldn't be on anywhere except wide paths and trails.

It sounds like it was two people on a regular ebike in a classic right hook situation. The truck driver almost certainly didn't see them and may not have even known he ran them over. The truck driver was clearly at fault and should have been driving more carefully and been more aware of his surroundings. That said, the person driving the ebike should have had more situational awareness, it's super dangerous to ride up beside a vehicle on the right and a bike will lose to a garbage truck every time.

Can you please link to an article with that detail? Or did you make it up?

It was in the article linked in the OP?

Two people on one ebike: “ When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman who had both been riding an e-bike suffering from injuries.”

This describes a right hook crash: “ MPD officials said its Major Crash investigations unit determined the trash truck and the e-bike were traveling northeast on Kansas Avenue and came to the intersection with Upshur Street at the same time. Investigators said the truck made a right turn onto Upshur Street when the front right section of the vehicle hit the e-bike.”

The rest is me describing how it’s dangerous to ride a small vehicle (e-bike) on the right side of a large vehicle (garbage truck) even if you legally have the right of way on the bicycle as a vehicle going straight because they might turn into your path. Oh, and I gave the driver the benefit of the doubt in assuming he didn’t see them and run them over on purpose.

Did I miss anything you were concerned about?

DP. Definitely a right hook.

If the truck driver was turning s/he was responsible for indicating the turn, coming to a complete stop, checking her/his right mirror, and then proceeding once s/he verified that there were no cyclists, pedestrians, or other road users to her/his right.

It is plausible that the driver may have done all of that if, for instance, the e-cyclist(s) were following the truck from directly behind, then came to the right of the truck fast enough for the driver to miss them between the time they checked their mirrors and returned their eyes to the road ahead of them, and then effectively rode straight into the truck as it was turning.

If there was a camera at the intersection, MPD should be able to figure out what happened without relying entirely on the testimony of the driver. If there was no camera, MPD will likely have to rely entirely on the driver's testimony as to whether they indicated, came to a complete stop, checked their mirrors etc. etc. etc..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Someone that is panicking.

But in this case, it sure sounds like the bike was in the truck's blind spot as it went into a right turn. That's a risky situation with any vehicle, but especially with large ones.

Please try using "they were in my blind spot and I didn't check for them" in your court appearance.

As many PPs have said, you have a responsibility to look as a biker and pedestrian too. It's amazing how people get killed by snowplows. You're not going to win against these large vehicles, so it's smart to be extra cautious around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article says the driver has been identified but not charged.

With help from MPD's Real Time Crime Center, the trash truck was later found in Hyattsville, Maryland, according to police. Detectives also said they identified the driver. The driver has not been arrested, and police could not comment on any potential charges.

I wonder if the people on the bike were operating it recklessly? There were 2 people on that bike - tandem bikes shouldn't be on anywhere except wide paths and trails.

It sounds like it was two people on a regular ebike in a classic right hook situation. The truck driver almost certainly didn't see them and may not have even known he ran them over. The truck driver was clearly at fault and should have been driving more carefully and been more aware of his surroundings. That said, the person driving the ebike should have had more situational awareness, it's super dangerous to ride up beside a vehicle on the right and a bike will lose to a garbage truck every time.

Can you please link to an article with that detail? Or did you make it up?

It was in the article linked in the OP?

Two people on one ebike: “ When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman who had both been riding an e-bike suffering from injuries.”

This describes a right hook crash: “ MPD officials said its Major Crash investigations unit determined the trash truck and the e-bike were traveling northeast on Kansas Avenue and came to the intersection with Upshur Street at the same time. Investigators said the truck made a right turn onto Upshur Street when the front right section of the vehicle hit the e-bike.”

The rest is me describing how it’s dangerous to ride a small vehicle (e-bike) on the right side of a large vehicle (garbage truck) even if you legally have the right of way on the bicycle as a vehicle going straight because they might turn into your path. Oh, and I gave the driver the benefit of the doubt in assuming he didn’t see them and run them over on purpose.

Did I miss anything you were concerned about?

DP. Definitely a right hook.

If the truck driver was turning s/he was responsible for indicating the turn, coming to a complete stop, checking her/his right mirror, and then proceeding once s/he verified that there were no cyclists, pedestrians, or other road users to her/his right.

It is plausible that the driver may have done all of that if, for instance, the e-cyclist(s) were following the truck from directly behind, then came to the right of the truck fast enough for the driver to miss them between the time they checked their mirrors and returned their eyes to the road ahead of them, and then effectively rode straight into the truck as it was turning.

If there was a camera at the intersection, MPD should be able to figure out what happened without relying entirely on the testimony of the driver. If there was no camera, MPD will likely have to rely entirely on the driver's testimony as to whether they indicated, came to a complete stop, checked their mirrors etc. etc. etc..

The Upshur / Kansas intersection is signalized, but there is also a big sign to remind drivers traveling NE bound on Kansas that they must stop for pedestrians and cyclists.

So even if the truck driver had a green light, they were required to stop and give way to any pedestrians and cyclists continuing straight on Kansas.

The other relevant feature about Kansas Ave is that it features a very stupid unprotected bike lane that is barely noticeable to drivers.

[Anonymous]

As someone who cycles more often than not in DC, I shudder when I see people riding e-bikes 20-25mph without a helmet. Head impact with concrete at that speed is probably going to be fatal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who cycles more often than not in DC, I shudder when I see people riding e-bikes 20-25mph without a helmet. Head impact with concrete at that speed is probably going to be fatal.

Everyone on two wheels in this city vastly underestimates the risks they are taking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who cycles more often than not in DC, I shudder when I see people riding e-bikes 20-25mph without a helmet. Head impact with concrete at that speed is probably going to be fatal.

Talk to an ER doctor. They say e-bike injuries look more like motorcycle accidents than bike accidents. The chances of dying on an e-bike are much higher than on a bicycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Well in Alexandria someone did; a woman driving a dump truck full of gravel ran over a woman and literally cut her IN HALF. She drove off, leaving the 2 halves in the middle of the road at Braddock and Commonwealth. She then drove 4 blocks, dumped her load of gravel, and then kept driving back into PG County where the gravel yard is. No skid marks to show braking. Nothing.

There were actual tire tracks of blood down Commonwealth, up W Masonic View and down Russell that it took no time at all to police to figure out who did it. Like within an hour.

There were NO witnesses (no other cars at the intersection) and no cameras at that light. The scene was so gruesome and bloody the city literally paved over it the very next day. And the woman wasn’t identified for two weeks. The whole thing was awful. I live 1 block away.

Driver claimed she thought she hit a dog (but didn’t stop). A dog. And that all the felt was a bump but didn’t stop. Because the police couldn’t find any witnesses so in the end they couldn’t find any evidence to refute the driver’s claim (even though everyone knows that the driver knew she had hit someone). So she was never charged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Well in Alexandria someone did; a woman driving a dump truck full of gravel ran over a woman and literally cut her IN HALF. She drove off, leaving the 2 halves in the middle of the road at Braddock and Commonwealth. She then drove 4 blocks, dumped her load of gravel, and then kept driving back into PG County where the gravel yard is. No skid marks to show braking. Nothing.

There were actual tire tracks of blood down Commonwealth, up W Masonic View and down Russell that it took no time at all to police to figure out who did it. Like within an hour.

There were NO witnesses (no other cars at the intersection) and no cameras at that light. The scene was so gruesome and bloody the city literally paved over it the very next day. And the woman wasn’t identified for two weeks. The whole thing was awful. I live 1 block away.

Driver claimed she thought she hit a dog (but didn’t stop). A dog. And that all the felt was a bump but didn’t stop. Because the police couldn’t find any witnesses so in the end they couldn’t find any evidence to refute the driver’s claim (even though everyone knows that the driver knew she had hit someone). So she was never charged.

Putting aside the utter classlessness of you describing gruesome details that someone who knew the deceased might now read, this plainly doesn't sound like someone fleeing. It sounds like the driver acted like someone who thought they hit a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why he isn't charged for manslaughter. Of course this was not intentional, but it still led to a death. The driver needs legal consequences.

From the description of events, it isn't clear he ever saw them or knew he hit them.

That's my guess. That whole area is extremely congested. And who tries to flee the scene (as the initial reports said) in a truck with your employer's name and number on the side?

Well in Alexandria someone did; a woman driving a dump truck full of gravel ran over a woman and literally cut her IN HALF. She drove off, leaving the 2 halves in the middle of the road at Braddock and Commonwealth. She then drove 4 blocks, dumped her load of gravel, and then kept driving back into PG County where the gravel yard is. No skid marks to show braking. Nothing.

There were actual tire tracks of blood down Commonwealth, up W Masonic View and down Russell that it took no time at all to police to figure out who did it. Like within an hour.

There were NO witnesses (no other cars at the intersection) and no cameras at that light. The scene was so gruesome and bloody the city literally paved over it the very next day. And the woman wasn’t identified for two weeks. The whole thing was awful. I live 1 block away.

Driver claimed she thought she hit a dog (but didn’t stop). A dog. And that all the felt was a bump but didn’t stop. Because the police couldn’t find any witnesses so in the end they couldn’t find any evidence to refute the driver’s claim (even though everyone knows that the driver knew she had hit someone). So she was never charged.

Putting aside the utter classlessness of you describing gruesome details that someone who knew the deceased might now read, this plainly doesn't sound like someone fleeing. It sounds like the driver acted like someone who thought they hit a dog.

Do you not stop if you hit a dog???