Biker runs over little girl, doesn't stop!!!

[shesgottasurf]

Hey all you sowallers......
I wanted to throw out something I witnessed today that greatly disturbed me (and surely the parents of the victim....) I am reporting this as non-prejudice as possible....... just 'informing' you of what I SAW......

I was driving west on 30-a, just east of Ed Walline, or Gulf Place. I happened to glance at the bike trail, and I witnessed a crime, in my opinion....... I'll tell you what I saw, and what I believe to be what happened, in that order. I am writing this to warn fellow 30-a'ers, families, and to possibly help the family that suffered this disgusting action on this bicycler's part

There were 3 people on the concrete walking/bike path by the road......a woman, man and a child (aged @ 6-9?) (their daughter, I presume) She stood around 4' tall from what I saw from the car.

The next time I glanced over at the trail, I see the BIKER- PLOW through at the expense of the little girl..... I saw her arms fly up to her face, and she kinda whirled around, and suddenly I realized she had been hit, or some other part of this... (excuse my 'language) dumbass, narcissticic bike rider!!!!!! I mean, I thought for a second that it was an accident between family/friends..................until I kept watching, and the biker KEPT ON RIDING WITH AN AGGRAVATED LOOK on his SUPERIOR FACE!!!!!! .......Like the girl was at fault for being in his WAY!! (And maybe they were, but this should not relieve him from responsibilities from his actions!)
He never looked back, didn't stop, just kept biking on.....I watched this in my rearview mirror, and I couldn't believe it! I truly believe the parents were stunned, and they didn't/couldn't pursue the biker. (They were watching him until they couldn't see him anymore, and surely had called to him, but my windows were up, and I didn't hear) As I watched him catch up to me in my car, at the corner of 30a and 393, I felt like I should pull in front of the biker that 'pretended' that he didn't just commit an assault on a child, ........but I was scared to try. (cause surely he is not in his right mind to be able do such a thing to a child and pretend it never happened........) ....and surely I couldn't stop him, anyway....he could just drive around my car. I didn't even think to file a police report until after the shock of the scene wore off.

So I am writing this to all Sowaller's to hopefully give this 'biker' a name, and bring him to justice. The parents may be looking for him, for his name, whatever, I don't know. I will file a police report tomorrow, and hopefully they did, too. He actually stuck out like a sore thumb, as described below, so hopefully somebody here will know who he is if he's local.....?

He was (obviously) on a bike. (not the 'racer' kind...just a leisure bike?)
He seemed in his mid to late 40's somewhere.....
Slicked back hair, or pulled into ponytail?
He had a basket on the front and on the back of his bike.
There were TWO dogs with him on the bike.
One in the front basket, one in back.
They looked like Miniature Pinschers.
This is something I have never seen, ( 2 dogs on a bike) and I am hoping someone knows someone who has two of these dogs, AND carries them on his bike......
Hmmmm............. ?

I hope to warn you to avoid YOUR family member from being run over, or yourself, and/or to help the victim's to learn the name of this guy if they're looking!!

 

[buster]

It may be a really bad move by that guy and he may be a real jerk. But it also sounds like you may be overreacting a bit. Your title says "run over" then you say she put her hands to her face. You say you glanced over, and were looking in your rear view mirror. Isn't it possible you didn't clearly see what happened? Maybe they stepped in front of the guy or he was in a bad postition. Yes it sounds like he was a jerk and should have stopped or something but why would you call the police unlessthe girl was injured? What justice would you and the police do to the guy for being a jerk?

 

[shesgottasurf]

Sure, I understand how you could think I have overreacted. I don't know how to really convey in words what I saw, but what I saw was NOT some little 'touch', or 'smack', or 'graze'. The parent's reaction was not condusive to their little girl overreacting, either. Even if it was, this was definitely a situation where a normal functioning individual would KNOW they had hit a kid with their bike and would stop! Sure, there are rules on the bike path, but even so, right or wrong, if you injure another individual, you are morally responsible to stop and at the very LEAST, recognize and admit what you did. And surely, you'd try to help out. Ya think?

 

[JustaLocal]

There is no question, pedestrians have the right-of-way on the multiuse path!

This is one reason so many cyclists prefer the road. I almost always end up slowing down (much) or running off into the grass in that area near Gulf Place. There is not really a way that feels 'polite' to come from behind. I ring my bell early, but still it seems to startle people.

 

[ASH]

Was the bike a lime green color? I have seen a guy on a bike as you described and the bike was lime green. If you aren't sure of the color, please say so in order to keep the innocent, innocent.

Did you speak with the parents to let them know what you witnessed?

 

[Smiling JOe]

Did you speak with the parents to let them know what you witnessed?

... or to hear their version of what happened? Was the girl just startled, and the parents upset at the rude biker? When I hit something with my bike at full speed, it usually knocks me off balance, causing me to crash.

Though I've secretly wanted to run over people who refuse to move over when alerted, several times, I resist the urge. Especially today, when everyone is listing to their ipods, or talking on their blueteeth. They are just in another world, and we need to tread lightly. For many reasons, bikes and walkers don't mix well, especially on the paths which narrow down to four feet. If I were riding on the path now and people are in my way, I would just pretend like I'm a food runner at the Red Bar, and yell, "hot food, coming through! Hot food, out of the way!"

 

[ameliaj]

Just a note to bikers. I'm more than happy to stay right when I hear the bell, hello, "on the left" call, but I do need a little warning. Many-a-time I hear the biker alert and it startles me out of my walking reverie and it takes me an extra second to respond. Maybe, give me a 15 to 20 foot warning instead of a 5 foot warning. I'll gladly give you the right of way.

 

[Henry]

How would you bikers feel if folks in cars decided to take matters into their own hands and run you over when you don't get out of their way fast enough?

I can't imagine how much bile must be flowing in your body to think you have the right to run people over because they aren't jumping fast enough when you want to barge through.

 

[Matt J]

I just stay to one side of the path or the other, why do some people feel the need to walk down the exact center?

 

[Smiling JOe]

Henry, no bile here. My complaint was when people don't move over after giving multiple shout outs. As I noted, I try to remember that people often have music shoved in their ears (very dangerous), and perhaps that is why they don't move. I've also seen the path filled three people across, with none of them moving. I'm not in a hurry anymore, and mostly, I ride on the road, so it doesn't bother me that some people just don't get it. I just put on my Zen hat and am at peace with it after taking some deep breaths.