Bicyclist Injured After Being Struck by SUV
Section of Woolley Road closed Tuesday night.
A bicyclist was hit by an SUV on Woolley Road Tuesday at about 8:10 p.m., sending a 29-year-old Oswego man to the hospital.
The man was riding his bike westbound near Oswego Fire Protection District Station One on Woolley Road when he was clipped by a 65-year-old Oswego man driving a Chevrolet Suburban.
The bicyclist was flipped from his bike, but did not sustain life-threatening injuries, according to Rob Sherwood, Oswego police media relations officer. He was listed in good condition Wednesday morning at Rush-Copley Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Courtney Satlak.
No tickets were issued, and according to the police report the driver did not see the bicyclist until just before hitting him with the passenger side mirror of the Suburban. The report did not indicate how fast the SUV was traveling, but the speed limit in the area is 35 mph.
Woolley Road was closed in the area for less than an hour, Sherwood said.
In This article
-
Oswego Fire Protection District Station 1
3511 Wooley Rd, Oswego, IL -
Oswego Police Department
3525 Us Highway 34, Oswego, IL
oCoMiK
9:48 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
SJ - I want to know why the driver was not ticketed. Public Act 095-0231 states:
" (d) The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or
individual proceeding in the same direction on a highway shall
leave a safe distance, but not less than 3 feet, when passing
the bicycle or individual and shall maintain that distance
until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual."
As he struck the cyclist with the passenger side mirror it's safe to assume they were both traveling in the same direction.
If I had to guess I'm willing to bet that the responding officer is unaware of this law. As I posted on the Facebook side of the house, I know of no motorists that are aware of this recent change in legislation.
gater
9:09 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
it also says you should single file and obey traffic signals have lights and reflectors at night
Jacqueline
12:23 pm on Thursday, April 12, 2012
The law now says bicyclists can ride in pairs. Who knew? Not me, until I encountered a bunch of cyclists & looked it up. This bicyclist should not have been riding at night without lights & reflective clothing. I bike, but only on trails. I agree that the cyclist has a right to the road, but also has to realize the danger of it. You can be right & then you can be dead right. It's just not worth the risk.
gater
9:10 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
iam sorry it should say ride single file
Steven Jack
9:15 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
@oCoMiK The police spokesman told me yesterday that it's to the officer's discretion as to whether someone is ticketed.
Iva Biggen
9:21 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
With the numerous sidewalks we have, that isn't the best road to be riding on at night. As for the police not being aware of the law about vehicles and bike safety, they sure seen to know when someone leaves their sprinkler on a few minutes past the time... To serve and protect.....
Iva Biggen
9:24 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
There you have it! Watering bad. Hitting a bicyclist with your truck ---not bad.....
oCoMiK
1:00 pm on Thursday, April 5, 2012
Thanks SJ.
MET
7:12 am on Friday, April 6, 2012
The problem with riding a bike on a sidewalk is that a sidewalk is just that....a sideWALK, meant for walkers. If you are riding your road bike, it is conceivable that you are riding 25+ MPH. This is unsafe on a sidewalk, where the driver of the bike would then be in the awful position of possibly plowing down walkers. There is absolutely no reason why auto and bike can not co-exist on open road when all are following the rules of the road. I agree that the driven should have been issued a citation, especially in light of the fact that the cyclist had to be taken to the hospital.
Greg O'Neil
5:33 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012
We have bicycle paths all over the place, yet on Grove road the bicyclists ride three and four abreast right down the middle of the road, sometimes you can't see them when coming over a hill. While I'm not suggesting that running over bicyclists is a good thing, they do know that they are hard for drivers to see and are assuming some of the risk for riding on roads designed soley for vehicle traffic. If you want to stay safe, stick to the extensive bike path system that is in place. If you take to a highway without any shoulder and has blind spots on hills and curves, you might get run over by a car, duh!
Jane Enviere
8:13 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012
I don't usually agree with Mr. O'Neil on much, but I dare say that he is right on! ; ) I happen to live near where he mentions and I can't stand being out on Sunday mornings because it's ridiculous the way that the riders think they can take over the entire road as if it existed only for those on a bicycle. I especially enjoy the glares you get as you try to move past their pack that takes up the entire span of the road. As if we are the problem. It was one of the first things we noticed when we moved here. And I really don't understand riding on major roads when bike paths are right there!
No doubt that there are auto drivers who pay zero attention to their surroundings -- clearly a problem. But if you ride a bike on roads designed for motor vehicle traffic, you are opening yourself up to a dangerous situation. That's reality. And given the attire of the riders, I'm fairly confident these are recreational/leisure riders, not people using a bike to get to and from work and trying to co-exist with motorized traffic. They apparently feel that they are entitled to the entire roadway as they pursue their sport/hobby.
Kind of reminds me of how annoying I find the "Start seeing motorcycle" bumper stickers --- especially when I routinely see motorcycles making stupid, illegal moves around cars and dodging in and out of traffic. The problems go both ways.
oCoMiK
9:46 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012
Greg I don't disagree with you that as a cyclist, just as a motorist, that anytime I take to a public road there is assumed risk. I don't think anyone is saying, at least the two of us who appear to be recreational cyclists, anything to contrary.
I also am not attempting to condone the disregard that some cyclists appear to have for road etiquette as well as the law.
But motorists need to also behave responsibly and realize that cyclists have a RIGHT to be on those roads.
Jane - it would appear that maybe you just have some two-wheel hate fetish thing going on. As such it makes it really hard to start with you. What I will say is that the broad brush that you choose to paint with, is well dare I say "broad". Not everyone out on the road on two wheels is discourteous with how they operate there vehicle.
To be honest, if you notice a problem, contact the police department. The large group of cyclists that you see out riding on the weekends pretty much take off from their starting point a the same time and although the routes may very they still pretty much stick to the same roads.
Michael OConnor, Cyclist and friend to motorists everywhere.
Jane Enviere
10:23 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012
Sorry Michael, but I don't actually have a "fetish" of any sort. LMAO I do dislike people who disregard the law and, quite frankly, common sense. I don't care if you walk, run, ride or fly. Idiots are idiots and deserve no special attention. Perhaps you are not one of those who cannot follow the laws, but the roads here are filled with them on the weekends.
Morons drive cars, too. Perhaps you missed my comment that indicates that fact. But yeah - I have a particular disdain for people who act like the road is their own personal playground and decide to group up 8 or 10 across while they pursue their hobby on roads that they need to be sharing with the vehicles meant to be using those routes, day in and day out. And do I love motorcycles who run up alongside 8 or 10 cars on 71 because they want to turn right at the light and not wait their turn? Yep. To answer the goofy bumper stickers --- "I certainly do see you. I see you driving like a moron." They don't call them donorcycles for nothing. That's a good way to end up dead.
Funny that my first grader can identify when the rules of the road are broken, but so many adults cannot. Or just don't care. Probably more of the case, I'm afraid.
J Collins
10:01 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012
The large group of cyclists happen on every road around here - Simons, Douglas, Woolley and they don't respect the single file rule. Calling the Kendall County Sheriff - what, are they going to give a ticket to every single cyclist? Of course not. They'll ride single file as soon as they see the police car.
Kathy
7:17 am on Saturday, April 7, 2012
Just my opinion, but I think some have gotten off track here. This article is not about a group of cyclists going down the middle of the road (fyi - as much as I agree with some of the posters on the "glares" you get, etc.) BUT about a single cyclist riding their bike at 8:10 PM on an unlit section of a two-lane country road with no sidewalks. At that time of night, if the cyclist did not have reflective clothing on or proper lighting, chances are the motorist may not have been aware that he was there until he was closer to him. I think those circumstances may be why the motorist was not ticketed.
Tina Conley
10:32 am on Saturday, April 7, 2012
Thank you Kathy!!!
Trent Blasingame
10:54 pm on Saturday, April 7, 2012
How do we/you know any of the facts???? The "motorist" simply skirted the issue by saying he didn't see the bicycle. Were cellphone records checked??? Was any due diligence whatsoever done by our men in blue??? Sure doesn't sound like it or it would have been sited in the "report". Jane, come out of that ivory tower you're living in. After reading several of your posts you seem to be quite the Pharisee. I am certain if we closely examined your life we would discover numerous ugly sins.
Jane Enviere
1:11 am on Sunday, April 8, 2012
Pharisee? Nah, but I applaud the reference. : ) I'll leave you to your worries about what was "sited" in the report. lol
Jaclyn
8:47 am on Friday, April 13, 2012
The officer is obviously an idiot.. I was recently in a car accident.. being the one who was hit and I got a ticket for "failure to yield".. The driver who hit the biker should also get a ticket. You cant just hit someone and get away with nothing...