Just when we thought the cyclist ran a stop sign, we took photos at the scene showing it was an uncontrolled intersection.
4.5.24 UPDATE
Per the police report, the intersection is verified as "an uncontrolled intersection".
The driver (name withheld for now) was NOT under the influence of drugs/meds. Alcohol test was negative.
It was indicated that the driver's vision was impaired from the sun.
The cyclist (name withheld for now) WAS under the influence of drugs/meds.
It was indicated that the cyclist was "Riding/walking on the wrong side of the road".
It was indicated the cyclist had varying other driving-related charges in recent times.
Crash Narrative: Unit #1 a 2004 Ford Expedition was traveling west bound on M ave in Fort Madison IA. Unit #2 a Bicyclist was riding south bound on 15th st. Unit #2 made a left turn at the M ave junction and continued east bound. At this time unit #2 was left of center and collided with unit #1. Motorist of unit #2 was thrown from the bike and came to rest in the roadway.
To our knowledge, no charges have been file and probably will not.
The cyclist appears at-fault in this crash with riding and turning on the wrong side of the road and under the influence.
THANKS to Bike lawyer Jim Freeman and his team at
Freeman Kevenides Law Firm, LLC for getting the police report and doing the research. If you ever have a bicycle-related crash, this is the team you want!
The diagram shows how and where the crash happened in that intersection.
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4.1.24 UPDATE
Don't always believe what you read in the media (No, this is NOT an April Fool's joke).
On March 25th, we posted two News items about a cyclist who was hit in Fort Madison on Wednesday, March 20th at approx 6:45pm.
Bicyclist airlifted to hospital following truck collision in Fort Madison
This News post indicated "the bicyclist bypassed a stop sign".
This News post didn't mention a stop sign.
Both News posts said:
- the vehicle was traveling Westbound
- the crash happened near the intersection of 15th Street and Avenue M.
Neither News Post indicated the direction the cyclist was traveling.
BIKEIOWA RESEARCH
We were in Southern Iowa over the weekend and made a special trip to Fort Madison to check out this intersection.
We spoke with a homeowner near the intersection who helped us pinpoint the impact area and told us the nurse at the scene used his battery cables to create a tourniquet on the man's leg to stop blood loss (see cables in crash photo)
Street View - On Avenue M roughly 1/2 a block from the15th street intersection looking at the 14th Street intersection.
Street View - On Avenue M looking at 15th street intersection.
The
Crash Photo from Chuck Vandenberg/PCC from the Pen City Current shows the bicycle and trailer.
The perspective of the crash site make it difficult to see exactly where the crash happened when comparing the crash photo to the Google street views.
If you look from the 15th street intersection, there is a telephone pole next to the curb. There is no pole in the crash photo, but there is in the Google street view and satellite view.
The Crash photo looks more like the intersection of 14th Street and Avenue M, but the curbs and telephone poles don't align between the crash photo and Google.
What we know:
- Neither intersection on Avenue M has Stop signs or Yield signs.
- Sunset that day was 7:18pm. The vehicle was traveling into the sun.
- There was no mention of an arrest in the 3/20/24 Fort Madison Police Reports.
- the crash was serious and out of the ordinary since the Iowa Department of Public Safety was contacted, and a traffic investigator was called to the scene to investigate the collision.
- We know the cyclist lived nearby and we know his first name.
What we don't know:
- the current condition of the cyclist
- which way the cyclist was traveling (we would guess traveling Northbound but the way the bicycle landed)
- if the crash was alcohol/drug related although there is a bar nearby(next to the red building in the crash photo)
- if the black marks in the photo were from the vehicle who hit the cyclist
Who has the right of way in an uncontrolled intersection?
Once you get to an uncontrolled intersection, look right and left to avoid oncoming traffic. The vehicle on the right always has the right of way if two or more cars arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time. However, you can yield to the vehicle on the left for extra precaution.
In Iowa, this technically, this applies to cyclists too.
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NEXT STEPS
- We will work with the Iowa Bicycle Coalition to obtain a police report to determine the exact area of impact and which way the cyclist was traveling. Depending on the direction of the cyclist, he technically may have had the "right of way".
- We will ask if any charges will be filed.
- We will ask when the driver and cyclist's names will be released.
- We will confirm the right-of-way for both vehicles.
- 4/5/24 - Our research and conclusion are complete. See above for updates.
The photos were taken by BIKIOWA on March 31st at 11:15am with exception to the crash photo (w/helicopter) which was taken on March 20th 2024 by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC).