re: One Triathlete Dead and Another Critical; Driver Charged (update in OP)

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If they're experienced guys on tri bikes, I'm gonna assume that they're not biking against traffic or doing anything stupid

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Why? A lot of people that are experienced in things don't follow all the rules. It's just a stupid assumption without knowing anything that gets the thread going in a bikers vs drivers manner (even if it's inevitable around here).

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Are we, though?

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I don't think you are asking for it any more than motorcyclists are asking for it.

But I do expect you to accept that both classes are statistically facked to a greater extent that car drivers.

Certain folks drive very poorly. That is the fact we all deal with it but, statistically speaking in terms of fatalities, car drivers deal with it much better.

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Why? A lot of people that are experienced in things don't follow all the rules. It's just a stupid assumption without knowing anything that gets the thread going in a bikers vs drivers manner (even if it's inevitable around here).

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Unless the biker was in the left lane or middle lane, I can't imagine a scenario where they were at fault

And most drivers are completely inept about bike laws. I get honked at all the time for doing nothing wrong at all.

Yup, it's always the car's fault. You don't sound biased or anything.

How about we let the facts come out before we past judgement on anyone.

This is what is known.

There is a half Ironman Triathlon in New Orleans on Sunday and this accident occured on part of the course. The bike is set up for time trial/triathlon riding. This is not a commuter bike. The area that the accident occurred in is not normally a commuter area. Unless you are commuting from Venetian Isles heading into or past the east, the cyclists on this stretch of road are in training.

We also know the car has damage on the driver and passenger side with the most obvious impact location on the drivers side of the vehicle. We also see damage to the passenger side of the vehicle, but no way to know it was from this accident or not.

So, with damage on the diver side of the vehicle either the driver or the cyclist was definitely in the wrong here. This isn't a case of being sideswiped or anything.

Could be that the cyclist was turning around. Possibly riding in the center of the lanes (which I say is unlikely). If not, than this driver did something really out of whack.

I feel safe in assuming this was a triathlete in training. Whether it was a local riding a very commong route TheWhiz and I have ridden hundreds of times, OR someone from out of town out on the course previewing it before the race.

Either way, I am confident whoever it was is advanced in their knowledge and experience and would not be riding right down the middle of Chef. Whether he lost control, the driver lost control, someone was turinng around, I have no clue....but if the damage was o the passenger side I might think different.

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So this means they don't drive trucks and dress like rednecks is what I usually get out of these kind of quotes.

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Yep, that's a perfect description of me alright.

Which reminds me that pissy liberals have a gift for extreme presumption. They're all psychics, apparently, and know why everyone does everything they do.

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Looks like bike was hit head on and cyclist was thrown on top the vehicle slapping into the windshield.

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Very improbable based off of what we see. Unless the car was traveling on the wrong side of the road, then moved back to the left side of the road before that pic was taken.

The chance of a cyclist, on a tri bike, training on the bike course of a half ironman in two days, out there riding against traffic, in the middle of the lane, not seeing an oncoming car, then a car traveling in the middle of his lane and not seeing an oncoming cyclist riding directly towards him are pretty slim.

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That's a pretty dangerous stretch to be on a bike. Very little shoulder.

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I know a lot of guys that ride the Chef to MS. Do 100 mile routes. Normally, its not too bad traffic wise. Its a pretty popular route, so most folks that drive it are accustomed to seeing cyclists.

I get nervous riding my bike on roads. I've been buzzed by cars riding in organized rides with police escorts. I usually ride the Tammany Trace or the East bank levee. Hwy 22 from Springfield to Mandeville has a good shoulder.

Another pic of car