Home > Fit City > Archives > 2010 > October > 07 > Entry
Jogger hit by cyclist in Dallas dies
I wrote here recently that it’s dangerous to wear headphones on the city’s heavily-used hike-and-bike trails.
This weekend, a 28-year-old Dallas woman died after she was struck by a cyclist while jogging on the crowded Katy Trail.
Police said the cyclist was attempting to pass Lauren Huddleston was when she abruptly changed directions. Huddleston was wearing headphones and may not have heard the cyclist approaching, police said. She slammed her head against the pavement and died of head injuries Sunday.
Read the initial report here and a followup here.
The accident has ignited a firestorm in Dallas. Some runners are blaming bicyclists for riding too fast on the crowded trail. Others say pedestrians have more of a responsibility to remain alert and aware.
Both are right.
I bike to work almost every day, and the last part of my commute is along Lady Bird Lake. Nearly every day, I encounter folks so wrapped up in their music that they don’t hear me ringing my bell to let them know I’m coming.
No, I’m not tearing down the road at breakneck speed.
But I am a trail user, just like you. And we all need to share the space we’ve got.
I’m trying to be safe — that’s why I call out or ring my bell to let you know I’m coming. But if your ears are covered up and you can’t hear me, how can I let you know I’m there?
What do you think? How can we make the trail around Lady Bird Lake more safe?
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment Categories: cycling
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.
By dinop
October 7, 2010 8:03 PM | Link to this
1) It’s only a matter of time before something like this happens on the town lake trail.
2) Bike Traffic has already been reduced on the north side of the trail west of Lamar with the nice bike lanes on the North of side of C.Chavez. I always exit the trail here and go on the paved bike only path b/c I’m afraid of hitting someone on the trail.
3) The trail should be renamed “Hike Trail” and bikes should be banned. As a biker, I hate to make the crown jewel of Austin inaccessible to me but as a jogger, I know it’s only a matter of time before a jogger is injured/killed on this crowded jewel.
That said, bikers have no shoulder room on Barton Springs road so there’s really not an alternative through Zilker Park.
By Dan
October 8, 2010 9:54 AM | Link to this
I walk the trail in Pflugerville not far from my house, and I’m astonished by the number of people on bikes who give no warning that they’re about to pass. No “on your left/right”, no bell, no horn—nothing. I realize that I need to be aware, and I try to be. But, especially where the trail curves, a bicyclist can be right on top of me seconds after I’ve looked.
What kills me is that twice, when they obviously startled me, bicyclists have said “You’re okay!”, like I was concerned about bothering THEM!
Share the trail. Use a horn, bell, or your voice to let people know you’re about to pass. It’s as simple as that. Inconsiderate people, whether on bike or on foot, can cause accidents.
By Fruits in Spandex
October 8, 2010 10:35 AM | Link to this
This GIRLY MAN in SPANDEX should get LIFE for MURDERING THIS
POOR WOMAN!!!!!
THESE FRUIT CAKES THINK THEY OWN the ROADS—ETC!!!!
MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS SPANDEX QUEEN!!!!!!
By Sean
October 8, 2010 10:42 AM | Link to this
sad and tragic event. I ride the hike/bike trails along Brushy Creek and for the most part have not had problems. Usually it’s groups of walkers walking 3 abreast, talking and not paying attention to their surroundings.
By Sean
October 8, 2010 10:43 AM | Link to this
sad and tragic event. I ride the hike/bike trails along Brushy Creek and for the most part have not had problems. Usually it’s groups of walkers walking 3 abreast, talking and not paying attention to their surroundings.
By Ban Bikes
October 8, 2010 11:04 AM | Link to this
Ban bikes where there are pedestrians. Bike riders want to be treated like “cars” when they are on the road. Act like a car. Stay on the road!!
By atxrocks
October 8, 2010 11:07 AM | Link to this
what’s the differences if jogger or cyclist is deaf or not?
By bike road racer
October 8, 2010 11:11 AM | Link to this
I only use the trail on “off peak” times. i do not listen to music while i run, i listen to my body and my cadence. i really dislike folks listening to music, it takes away your inner “beast” to push beyond your limits.
By Jacob
October 8, 2010 11:16 AM | Link to this
I can’t stand the bikers that go down the greenbelt… If I get hit by a bike on the greenbelt or on the Hike and Bike their bike is going in the water and if they want squabble about it that is fine because it will be on.
By Southside Danny
October 8, 2010 11:25 AM | Link to this
Ban headphones and deaf people from the trail so cyclists can go fast whenever wherever they want.
By JN
October 8, 2010 11:26 AM | Link to this
I’d been following that Dallas story and was sad to hear that the young woman passed. I agree with previous comments in that its only a matter of time before a bicycle/jogger collision happens here in Austin.
I walk and run along the Town Lake, oops I mean Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail at least once a week and I have had a few close calls with bikers who whiz through there like bats out of hell.
As a music lover I have to have my music on to keep me motivated to run through just one more song, but whenever I get stuck behind the little old ladies, the dog walkers, or the three abreast self-absorbed Chatty Cathys pushing baby strollers who are meandering along the trail I look behind me first to make sure I can safely “change lanes.”
By TIMMY
October 8, 2010 11:36 AM | Link to this
BAN BIKES AND DOGS ON ALL TRAILS IN AUSTIN.
Bikers have no regard for joggers. I see near accidents on the green belt constantly!
Careless dog owners that do not have their pets on a leash need to be addressed as well. I see too many aggressive dogs that bite or growl at joggers. The city needs to enforce the leash law!
By April
October 8, 2010 11:44 AM | Link to this
Everyone that uses the trail needs to be aware of their surroundings. How many times have you been walking behind someone and then abruptly stop and change directions. This is most common at airports where many folks walk aimlessly and also seem to ignore the shuttle beeps. Sorry she lost her life, it was an accident and that’s that.
By jochtr
October 8, 2010 11:58 AM | Link to this
The solution is simple.
Prohibit more than one earphone for walkers/joggers. If you are walking on the right, you cannot wear your left earphone, and vice-versa.
Add to that law that cyclists on trails must announce their approach.
If either of these two laws are broken, the person who broke the law is at fault. If both people broke the law, tie goes to the runner. ;-)
By kw
October 8, 2010 12:04 PM | Link to this
Lauren was the sister of a good friend of mine. Tragic accident. Her family honored her wishes and donated her organs. She has already saved several lives and given the gift of sight to two people! I hope that some change will come out of her tragic death. There needs to be some separation of cycling and jogging / walking on the trails to help prevent another accident like this.
By bobke
October 8, 2010 12:55 PM | Link to this
Dan in Pflugerville, I suspect the cyclist was saying “your okay” to prevent you from making a sudden move as the cyclist went around you. Many times a walker will be in front of me and if I ring the bell they tend to make a sudden move which creates a bad situation. If I say ‘on your left” they also sometimes make sudden moves. By saying “your okay” it lets the walker know that he or she is not in the way and the cyclist is coming around.
By BeckiMend
October 8, 2010 1:04 PM | Link to this
In Salt Lake City, cyclists are only allowed to ride on certain portions of the very popular Millcreek Canyon trail on even-numbered days. Seems to work well, but I’m sure there was some public outcry when they first implemented the changes.
By timmy
October 8, 2010 1:11 PM | Link to this
Forget Joggers, they can jog in place or jog on sidewalks. Bicycles are illegal on sidewalks. (they’re for pedestrians)
If a bicyclists rings a bell to pass a pedestrian they invariably turn their body to look into the direction the bicyclist is trying to pass making it more dangerous. (just noticed someone else pointed this out too)
The chatty cathy’s who walk 3 abreast (or more) are a huge problem.
Quit blaming the bicyclist. He/she wasn’t the one wearing the headphones which in my opinion was a huge factor or even the cause of this accident.
By Pam LeBlanc
October 8, 2010 1:26 PM | Link to this
Just wanted to clarify here that it’s NOT illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk except in certain parts of downtown Austin and along Guadalupe near campus. Thanks, Pam
By CORINA
October 8, 2010 1:31 PM | Link to this
I believe that Bicyclist should even be allowed on the trails. It should be angled to foot traffic ONLY! if you get a bike it is like buying a form of transportation. So that means it should be only allowed on the streets where bicyclist are ORDERED BY LAW TO FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AS AN AUTOMOBILE!
By J
October 8, 2010 1:46 PM | Link to this
Wonder if the chatty cathys who walk 3 abreast are any relation to the chatty cathys who cycle 3 abreast.
By John Michaels
October 8, 2010 1:57 PM | Link to this
TDOT laws for vehicles also apply to cyclists. Pedestrians ALWAYS
By The Guy
October 8, 2010 2:50 PM | Link to this
I would hate that small children are forced to ride only in the street. To force 4 year olds to follow the laws that apply to 16 - adults. STUPID. There is a reason you arent allow to drive on public roads until 16. The bicycle is a transititional form of transportation and needs access to both. People that put headphones on in a public transist area (jogging, biking, walking) are just asking for trouble. I yell at my wife about it all the time.
By Barry
October 8, 2010 3:18 PM | Link to this
I’ve used the trails over 30 years for running and, now, walking and I’ve never entertained a thought of wearing earphones. Your out enjoying nature, why ruin the experience with something other than nature’s music?
By Anderson
October 8, 2010 3:37 PM | Link to this
Southside Danny…you are an idiot. We should ban ignorant people like you from Trails and not deaf people .What makes you better than any deaf person?? you’re an selfish ignorant idiot..i can’t say it enough.
By Mike Davis
October 8, 2010 3:38 PM | Link to this
there should a center lane, bike speed limit and walkers/joggers moving against bike traffic with the right of way in this lane
By PR
October 9, 2010 9:47 AM | Link to this
Bikes have an entire road system to use if they want to commute. The trails should be a place for people to walk or run without fear of fast moving vehicles, motorized or otherwise. If you want to use the trail on a bike, be prepared to move at the speed of traffic on it. 90% of the people on bikes on that trail are zooming through tight spaces putting the people - headphones or not - at risk. The headphones are a red herring here, you can’t hear people coming up behind you or judge how close they are if they do warn you. If you are approaching someone on a trail fast enough to kill them, you are a threat with or without headphones on that victim.
By Jay
October 9, 2010 10:54 AM | Link to this
Pedestrians don’t want cyclists on the trails/sidewalks and cars don’t want them on the road. But until more spaces are given to cyclists, both need to learn to share. I hate when joggers/walkers are in the bike lanes, but I know to share, because they probably wish they had their own space as well.
Finally, I’m sure a lot more cyclists are killed by cars than joggers by cyclists. Seems like a bit of a freak accident that is unfortunate, but still doesn’t need to incite all this bickering over sharing a hike/bike trail.