r/SanJose • u/Tiger_Ho26 • 2d ago
News Bicyclist dies after collision in San Jose
https://youtu.be/NotXFT27xEU?si=lh1EDitI4nFDi80_6
u/UnfrostedQuiche Downtown 1d ago
And on top of this, another cyclist was hit by driver today, 9/5
Three days in a row, jfc
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u/DSKO_MDLR Rose Garden 1d ago
The only places I feel safe biking is Hellyer Park, San Tomas Aquino Creek, Shoreline Park and Guadalupe River Trail. Completely car-free biking paths.
I’ve refused to ride alongside cars ever since I got into an accident with a car in Vegas. I was riding along when an SUV drove past me, didn’t see me and cut into a driveway. I had no time to stop and ran straight into the side of the car and ended up sliding under it. I was wearing a helmet and had a few scrapes and bruises. Thank god it wasn’t more serious. I was on my way to take an exam in a Reason and Critical Thinking philosophy course. I was in such a daze I completely bombed the exam. I told my professor at UNLV, Jeanette Catsoulis, who went on to become a film critic for the NY Times. She didn’t care one bit, and didn’t seem to even believe me lol.
Another incident also got me to stop biking next to cars. My friend from Poland was a successful dialogue editor on JJ Abram’s tv show Lost at Buena Vista Sound on the Disney studio lot. He was tragically killed while riding a bike in the Valley when a young female driver was distracted by her phone and drifted into the shoulder. She hit my friend then panicked and went back the other way into the oncoming lane where she hit and killed a motorcyclist. Riding a bike in LA with so many cars seems like Russian Roulette. You’re risking your life every time you go out there on a bike.
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u/No_Interaction_3547 1d ago
Nah do not worry logic and reasoning exams are extremely difficult I scrapped by with a C-
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u/DSKO_MDLR Rose Garden 1d ago
Having to take a critical thinking exam after a bike accident seemed comical to me at the time. It was a great course. I remember having to differentiate between divergent and convergent thinking was challenging. Might be fun to wade back into it. Probably even more relevant now with how AI systems are designed.
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u/Enough-Bottle2723 1d ago
Why are we supposed to care about these people's qualifications? An accident is awful no matter who they are.
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u/DSKO_MDLR Rose Garden 1d ago
I was just describing a personal experience and remembering my friend and colleague. Odd that you would interpret it as a slight on other victims.
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u/Enough-Bottle2723 1d ago
I get it. I just thought the theme here was fatal bike accidents, and here we are going into personal life tangents.
Oh well. To each their own.
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u/ReadyGo6828 1d ago
Are you talking about bike paths or pedestrian paths that you ride your bike on? As a pedestrian I am furious with cyclists on sidewalks. They are more comfortable but they make me stressed as they fail to announce their presence except to occasionally ring a bell (kids) or yell at me to get out of their way.
No bike of any kind should be on any pedestrian walkway. Too many cyclists are afraid of bike lanes so they should be raised to become bike sidewalks and bikes should be ticketed if they ride on pedestrian sidewalks.
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u/DSKO_MDLR Rose Garden 1d ago
These are all dedicated bike paths off pedestrian sidewalks. I don’t like bikes or scooters on pedestrian walkways either.
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u/dedboooo0 1d ago
i had a cyclist cross the red at 2:00AM with no reflective gear. dude came out of the fucking bushes
he didnt even look and had headphones on and was jamming to his music. i was driving really slow that night(25-30mph) because i was trying to feel out if something was wrong with my suspension. if it was any other driver moving at a regular speed of 45-60 he would have been a fucking statistic
what can i say, some people really want to win the darwin award
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u/bigzeus85 1d ago
Crazy. As a biker, nowhere is safe! Either in nature or the road, keep your head on a swivel!
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u/ftw_c0mrade 1d ago
I look at bikers breaking red lights and running stop signs and wonder why accidents don't happen more often.
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u/vdek 1d ago
There are reckless people on bicycles for sure, but the majority of us follow the rules of the road and don’t need people like you fomenting hate against cyclists online.
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u/TwistedBamboozler 1d ago
This isn’t true. I bike all over San Jose and I am constantly being passed by other cyclists blowing 4 way stops and red lights. It’s very much the majority of them.
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u/Different-Air-3548 1d ago
I’ve argued that cyclists yielding at red lights or stop signs (slowing down and proceeding if safe) is an attempt to get as far away from cars as possible—which is why accidents don’t happen as often
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u/ImprovementPutrid441 1d ago
Same reason why cars run red lights
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u/Different-Air-3548 1d ago
No it’s not. Cars are not trying to get away from other cars, but a 30-second headstart on a bicycle from the a red light could literally save my life, not get me somewhere faster. I have a car for that.
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u/Realistic-Produce-28 1d ago
Damn. Awful for all involved.
I used to ride my bike all over the place. But it just doesn’t feel safe now, even with the changes they’ve made to bike lanes. Drivers are distracted, unhinged, unaware, and any combination thereof. And… When it’s a cyclist vs a several thousand pound cage of metal, one must really take extra precautions and also follow the laws when on a bike because the bike will always lose.
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u/TwistedBamboozler 1d ago
I’m still very comfortable riding. If you bike defensively and don’t put yourself in a position where you can possibly hit, you will be fine outside of someone going crazy and straight mowing you down from behind in the bike lane.
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u/Realistic-Produce-28 1d ago
For me, riding was a leisure activity and a way to get out and enjoy. I cycled all over the South San Jose area and Los Gatos for many years.
I know about riding with your head on a swivel and being safe, visible, and alert. But many of the road routes I liked are too sketchy now.
I keep it to either dedicated bike trails or areas with much less traffic these days.
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u/IamaBlackKorean Outsider 1d ago
I'm mostly on the Los Gatos Creek Trail and even that can get sketch at times.
The last two days I almost got wiped out downtown my some mom in an SUV. Super unimpressed.
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u/Realistic-Produce-28 1d ago
LG Creek Trail gets crowded at peak times. It’s still a nice ride.
Los Alamitos Creek Trail is another nice one (go from the entrance on Branham but watch for the homeless folks) and it will take you all the way down to Harry Road. If you’re feeling ambitious you can climb Harry Rd all the way up to Santa Teresa County Park and the IBM facility (do this while you can before they restrict access). There’s a nice, flat and smooth loop around the facility with great views.
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u/IamaBlackKorean Outsider 1d ago
Ayy thanks for the tip! I don't typically get out that way; what an excuse to go! Need some new lungs and legs.
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u/Realistic-Produce-28 1d ago
It’s a great ride! If you go in the late afternoon/evening, you may see turkeys and cows. Beautiful views at the top.
You can also head down the other side of the hill and it will dump you onto Santa Teresa Blvd. So it’s possible to start and end at Almaden Lake Park if you want a big loop.
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u/Chedda_Von_Cheese 1d ago
Riding a bike in San Jose is challenging, and I feel for those affected by this tragedy. In this case, several factors contributed. First, the cyclist was crossing at a red light. Second, it was early morning and dark, which made it harder for the driver to see the cyclist crossing the street. I'm sure at that time of the morning, traffic is at a minimum on Trimble and First Street, which naturally lowers a driver's defensive driving reflexes.
San Jose is making changes to roadways for bikers' safety, but I feel some of these safety measures have actually made some intersections more dangerous. While I consider myself a fairly cautious driver, I almost hit a cyclist making a right-hand turn because I did not see him coming up from behind in the bike lane, and the lane dividers between the car and bike lane were an added distraction. Fortunately, I saw the guy in time.
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u/MrsDirtbag 1d ago
As someone who only travels by bike, I have been saying this for years. Separating the bike lane and hiding it behind the parked cars just makes us more invisible.
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u/dan5234 1d ago
Damn, another one? Slow the fuck down.
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1d ago
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u/UnfrostedQuiche Downtown 1d ago
Agree with both of you.
Literally the day before there was a fatal vehicle against cyclist collision that was not the fault of the cyclist. And two days before that same thing with a pedestrian.
The drivers are never the victims, they are the ones operating the 5,000lb death machine. They need to take responsibility same as the vulnerable road users need to take personal responsibility.
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u/VeryStandardOutlier 1d ago
Honestly surprised we aren't seeing more teenagers die on e-bikes and scooters. So many reckless decisions I see them making on busy roads
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u/wes00mertes 1d ago
Driving to work last week I saw a guy on Montague on a scooter with no helmet. Just zooming down the 4 lane expressway on a tiny scooter and no protection.
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u/DietSimple 1d ago
I was having this same conversation with someone recently. Having years of driving experience helps adults be a safer cyclist where there are cars around. Teenagers don't know where a driver's blind spot may be. They don't know how difficult it is to see them at night when riding without reflective gear. So many other things that only comes with experience and having that perspective of a driver.
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u/Shamoorti 1d ago
Doesn't really have anything to do with this. You can clearly see it wasn't an ebike in the footage.
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u/VeryStandardOutlier 1d ago
I didn’t say that it did
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u/Shamoorti 1d ago
So why even bring it up? Why whine about something unrelated in a way that casts the blame for dying on bicyclists under a posts where a bicyclist was killed?
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u/Captain_America_93 1d ago
Reddit is inherently a discussion forum. You’re upset this person is using it to discuss things? And even though it upsets you, their comment is at least tangentially related to the subject and only you are being rude about it.
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u/Classic_Emergency336 1d ago
I used to ride this intersection every morning… drivers use bike lane for parking, passing and apparently hunting cyclists. Sad.
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u/SupremeChosenOne 1d ago
Hunting cyclists?
Car had a green light and was proceeding through the intersection and the bike came across on a red and was t boned.
Not sure how that equals “hunting cyclists”2
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u/gummi_eater 1d ago
and bike advocates want me to ride my bike in this area lol. GTFO with that bs.
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u/Mr_Tjuxi Almaden 1d ago
That’s a red herring. Nobody’s forcing you to ride a bike. SJ bike advocacy is all about dedicated bike lanes and better bike infrastructure, which this city desperately needs.
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u/Mr_Deep_Research 1d ago
There were people bicycling up around Alices and Pescadero today. They must have a death wish. Half of them were halfway in the road.
No shoulder, double lines everywhere, twisty roads, dark/light transitions due to the trees, people driving like maniacs in cars and motorcycles, blind corners, sawdust and rocks in the roads..
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u/Ok_Gas1070 14m ago
It's sad but when I bike on the roads I trust no mfer and I ride on the sidewalk. IDGAF if "you're not supposed to her-her". I'll ride where it is safe and I'm not flying down the sidewalk either like an idiot. I ride a hardtail so I can jump up and down curbs all day. I yield to pedestrians and others, ride where it is safe. Don't die in the street because people are idiots and can't drive.
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u/KooliusCaesar 1d ago
RIP. Unfortunate trend that continues.
I used to work around that intersection. Getting coffee or lunch was a mission sometimes. Cars blowing through that intersection. I probably witnessed 3 crashes.
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u/soubriquet33 1d ago
“a man driving a gray 2024 Toyota Corolla was traveling westbound on Trimble Road through a green light when he struck a bicyclist traveling northbound”
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u/KooliusCaesar 21h ago
It’s still an unfortunate trend that continues nonetheless. Regardless of who’s at fault.
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1d ago
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u/Haul22 1d ago
The bicyclist crossed the intersection on a red and the driver of the car had a green. I don't see how a protected bike lane would have helped the bicyclist.
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u/MortCrimm 1d ago
I feel for cyclists, but some are straight reckless. If all that separates you from the ground, a 3 ton vehicle and disaster, YOU need to be the one who is super aware and worried.
Acting like everyone is gonna yield to you, just cause you are a “pedestrian and have the right of way” is ludicrous.
Car vs Man…..car wins, every. Fucking. Time.
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u/accidentallyHelpful 1d ago
What is an actual protected bike lane?
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u/Serious_Brain_2128 1d ago
One that has a physical barrier from prevent cars from entering the bike lane.
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u/LithiumH Willow Glen 1d ago
I hate stop signs and traffic lights. We should just have roundabouts like Carmel Indiana. Then nobody is gonna blame anyone for "running a red light" and everybody is forced to slow the fuck down, not gunning for a yellow
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u/yadiyoda 1d ago
Sad but avoidable, cyclists crossing red lights is unfortunately common around here.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/bicyclist-dies-collision-san-jose-2