Pedestrian dies after being struck by cyclist, Vancouver police say

Vancouver police are investigating an incident that saw a pedestrian die after he was struck by a cyclist.

On the morning of November 17, an 80-year-old Vancouver man was crossing Main Street mid-block.

A cyclist riding northbound in the curb lane collided with the pedestrian.

According to police, the pedestrian suffered a serious head injury and was taken to hospital.

He died on the morning of November 18.

The Vancouver Police Department's collision investigation unit has spoken with one witness to the incident.

The unit is asking anyone else with information to contact it at 604-717-3012.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

Comments

33 Comments

NDB

Nov 22, 2010 at 3:09pm

Cyclists need to buy insurance if they want to ride downtown.

I had one cyclist JUST miss slamming into my car...it was 100% her fault, but there is nothing I could do to make her pay becuase she isnt insured.

StunningStu

Nov 22, 2010 at 5:21pm

By that logic perhaps pedestrians over 200 pounds should be insured also.

cranky mom

Nov 22, 2010 at 6:30pm

how sad for the family!

Mike Grant

Nov 22, 2010 at 10:59pm

NDB that chant is getting old, next we insure joggers and baby carriages its time we banned cars in the core!

Misanthrope

Nov 23, 2010 at 8:58am

I say we just blow up the planet. That way no human has to moan about liability anymore.

Rox

Nov 23, 2010 at 9:39am

I don't disagree with cyclists having a share of the road with motor vehicle operators but there must be conditions.
Cyclists must adopt ALL rules of the road, complete a competency course, acquire insurance and pay the same $ amount for tickets and fines.
Have you ever seen a cyclist come to a complete stop at a 4-way stop intersection? A motor vehicle operator has to pay $167 for that same violation...a cyclist? Nada - zip - diddly. Failing to yield to a pedestrian nets the same fine...but not only do cyclists ignore this law and courtesy, they'll bark expletives at the pedestrian for getting in their way!?
Our criminal courts need to take bike operators into consideration when contentious accidents occur as well. No longer should drivers be at fault automatically in a collision between vehicle and cycle. There MUST be accountability from both parties.

Guess what cyclists? You got your wish - you got your exclusive lanes and more road space - now it's time to nut up. Accept your civic and financial responsibility to the city and stop behaving like the rules apply only to those with 4 tires.

myname

Nov 23, 2010 at 10:47am

A car: two to six seats enclosed in a metal shell where by the passenger(s) are protected with numerous airbags should an accident happen. Also, cars can go up to speeds well over 100 km/hr.
A bike: the rider is protected by a helmet, should they chose to wear that abominably to fashion, and not sure about what kind of speeds can be achieve by cyclists, but over 100km/hr is highly unlikely.
What you're saying is that cyclists should become liable for the accidents regardless of the fact that, if this were a game of rock vs scissors except for the purposes of this explanation car vs bike, car would trump bike every single time.
Cars and bikes will never be the same things and if the war between the two continue then perhaps we should think about getting rid of cars completely in the downtown core. They are the bullies to the cyclists, pedestrians, and the environment after all.

Skeptical

Nov 23, 2010 at 10:48am

RE: Rox

"Have you ever seen a cyclist come to a complete stop at a 4-way stop intersection?" Yes - I see it all the time.

Blaming everyone who rides a bike for the actions of a few reveals a weak thought process.

A large number of car drivers talk on handheld cellphone, roll stop signs, fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and drive drunk. This does not make all drivers guilty of those actions.

Any why the rant about cyclists' behavior when this is an incident where - apparently - a pedestrian stepped into traffic mid-block. Police have been quoted as saying they don't have any indications presently that the cyclist was at fault. Car drivers kill 30 - 40 pedestrians a year in Vancouver. Post any rants about that?

Enforcement of the law should be done. The police should focus resources on the actions most likely to harm others. That includes drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Danielle

Nov 23, 2010 at 10:59am

A very sad incident. Everyone sees to be jumping on the cyclist here without even being a witness to the accident. Yes I think they need to be held accountable, however, did you all miss the fact in the article that the man was jaywalking? You assume a lot of risk when you do that. Perhaps the cyclist was riding along and this man stepped out after only checking for oncoming cars so close that the hit could not have been avoided.

Ops Manager

Nov 23, 2010 at 11:04am

Rox: Please accept the evidence of your own eyes and admit that bicycles ARE NOT motor vehicles and therefore the laws for motor vehicles are simply not suitable to govern cycling. "They'll bark expletives"? Really? So that's not a damning stereotype, the "nasty aggressive cyclist"? Sharing the road means compromise on all sides, not a blanket demand that bicycles do exactly what cars do--which is impossible anyway.