Round 7:00 pm on June 2nd, Portlander Vivek Jeevan was a part of a bunch of about 30 cyclists on a experience that’s a part of the Bike Summer season competition. As he and one other rider had been at the back of the group headed north on Northeast seventh Ave approaching NE Holladay, they had been approached by two aggressive automotive drivers. One of many drivers deliberately drove into Viv. The incident shocked and startled him and even days after it occurred, Viv was unable to experience as he processed the concern and trauma.
Viv is a devoted biking advocate, the bicycle schooling coordinator for BikeLoud PDX, and authorized bike driving teacher who provides personal driving classes and bicycle schooling programs through his Portland Bicycle Faculty enterprise.
I requested Viv to write down concerning the incident. Under is a barely edited account of what occurred:
Spirits had been excessive because it was the 2nd day of Pedalpalooza, and the Kickoff Journey was the night time earlier than. We’d simply left our assembly location at Colonel Summers Park. We had been and 10-Quarter-hour into the experience. The experience was continuing at an unusually quick tempo, however Lynn (buddy I rode with) and I had been maintaining.
I used to be coping with a number of street circumstances on the time. The experience began to stretch out, and Lynn was falling behind. Lynn and I had been on the tail finish of the experience, and there have been nonetheless cyclists instantly in entrance of us. Lynn was within the bike lane, I used to be to her proper within the visitors lane. I used to be speaking to Lynn, asking how she was feeling, and she or he stated she was struggling to maintain up with the tempo of the experience.
At that second, an aggressive driver approached behind us. I might hear him revving his engine and getting shut. I shortly moved into the bike lane behind Lynn, and when the driving force handed us, I resumed my place within the visitors lane. I instantly frightened, as a result of then the driving force revved and received near the bike owner in entrance of me. I questioned if I ought to begin taking video, or yell a warning to the cyclists. On the similar time, I used to be speaking to Lynn. I requested her if she wished to stop the experience, and she or he stated “sure”. I stated we’d get off the street on the subsequent intersection.
At this level, a second aggressive driver approached behind us. He honked and yelled varied anti-bicycle issues regularly: “Get out of the way in which, you bicyclists suppose you personal the street!” We had been headed North on seventh Avenue. Lynn was within the bike lane. I used to be on her proper close to her, to speak her by the issue she was having, so I used to be “driving to the suitable” within the visitors lane. I don’t know if this second aggressive driver might see the complete Pedalpalooza group and was offended in any respect of us, or if he might see simply me and Lynn (and possibly just a few different cyclists), for the reason that first aggressive driver had gotten in entrance of me, splitting up the group experience that was already beginning to stretch out.
From the second I heard him yelling, we had been about 3-5 seconds away from an intersection at Holladay St. I used to be planning to inform Lynn that we’d get onto the sidewalk there. The visitors lane I used to be in was solely huge sufficient for one automotive. I ignored this second aggressive driver, pondering we’d get out of his approach in just some seconds. And on the whole, there are screaming individuals all through Portland that I ignore and simply transfer away from shortly.
However the second offended driver all of the sudden lurched ahead, and he deliberately struck me.
There have been just a few seconds between when he began honking and screaming from behind us, and when he accelerated into me. His aspect mirror collapsed on the affect. I bear in mind it hitting my shoulder. It didn’t knock me down, and I can’t bear in mind if or how a lot it pushed me to the aspect. Instantly after the collision, we had been on the gentle at seventh and Holladay. The sunshine was beforehand inexperienced, and I bear in mind the sunshine turning, and pondering, ‘He hit me, now we’re caught collectively on the gentle.’ I don’t bear in mind if the driving force slowed on the gentle, or got here to at a full cease. He determined to run the sunshine. I can’t recall if it was a late yellow, or a full crimson, however the driver determined to high-tail it away.
I chased him, screaming “hit and run!” So I too went by the sunshine, which was probably crimson at that time. I anticipated to try to take a photograph of the plate, then name 911 and report successful and run. Nevertheless, the driving force pulled right into a parking area on the north finish of the intersection. I then realized I used to be going to need to face him. I known as 911. He got here out of his car screaming at me, strolling menacingly, and waving his arms. Thankfully a safety guard heard the commotion and walked in the direction of us, retaining himself between me and the driving force.
The motive force appeared like an individual who wasn’t doing effectively. His face had the looks of drug abuse. His visible look, jerky mannerisms, and speech sample had been these of different Portland residents who’re screaming on the sidewalks. He was screaming regularly at me, and couldn’t hold a logical prepare of thought or argument. His yelling jumped backwards and forwards between phrases that I’m itemizing right here by class, eradicating quite a lot of swearing: “You had been in my approach, how dare you experience in entrance of me, you suppose you’re the king of the street, bicyclists suppose they personal the road, why did you name 911, that is nothing, how might you name the police, why did you do that, you’re making a giant deal out of nothing!”
911 took the decision instantly. They requested for car data, which I used to be in a position to totally give for the reason that driver had parked. Two officers arrived in a couple of minutes. One officer stood in a single place, remaining silent and watching. Officer Kyle Williams (badge quantity #62010) did all of the work.
Officer Williams separated the driving force and myself, and talked to us one by one. He requested for my Oregon ID card, and I heard him ask for the driving force’s license and insurance coverage. When he interviewed me, his first concern was the situation of the crash. I confirmed him the road. His first query was the place I used to be driving. After I defined that I used to be with a Pedalpalooza group of 30 cyclists, and I used to be within the visitors lane as a result of the bike lane was occupied, his face lit up. He smiled as if he’d simply solved a problem downside. “You triggered this since you had been within the automotive lane,” the officer stated to me. “You’re legally required to be within the bike lane to your safety.” (Notice: The regulation that pertains to this example, ORS 814.430, says a bicycle rider can depart the bike lane if they’re overtaking one other rider. Additionally of observe is that Viv could be very knowledgable about this regulation as a result of he was a part of a bunch that sought to repeal it.)
I knew from my expertise reviewing crash reviews that I had just some minutes to offer my story for his report, which might then turn into the everlasting file, so I needed to clarify troublesome visitors regulation and bike security ideas in fast sound bites. I used to be not given sufficient time to clarify a lot of something. My response, for higher or worse, was, “I’m a visitors teacher. I train visitors abilities, and I do know my rights.” (I can attest that Viv travels with a bi-folded enterprise card that lists key bike legal guidelines.) However the officer disregarded my feedback with a fast phrase like “we’ll see about that” or one thing of that nature, and instantly modified the topic.
When he interviewed the driving force, the driving force was nonetheless yelling and frantically waving his arms. I heard Officer Williams a few times inform him to relax.
After having interviewed us each, Officer Williams handed me again my Oregon ID alongside along with his enterprise card. He stated, “Nothing prison has occurred. I’ve conflicting tales… you inform me he deliberately struck you, he stated you deliberately hit his mirror (so apparently the driving force got here up with a fast lie). You might be each at fault. The motive force ought to have waited for you, and also you provoked him by being within the automotive lane. You’re each ignorant.”
At this level, I didn’t say a phrase, and left the scene. It felt like his choice was already made, and he was already visibly irritated with me, and clearly used the phrase “ignorant” to not cross the road — utilizing that to exchange the vulgarity of what he actually considered me.
After I walked away, I felt my knee damage. On the time of the crash, I solely bear in mind my elbow being hit, and the sensation of the car at my aspect. It’s attainable the car additionally hit my knee, or possibly I used to be imagining the ache.
Viv has engaged a lawyer and is pursuing his authorized choices.
This can be a very disappointing police interplay. I’ve recognized Viv for a number of years and he rides with excessive care and warning. To have him dismissed, known as “ignorant” and both-sided like that, is disturbing. It’s illustration of how insufficient our system is in terms of responding to vehicular violence. That is additionally a validation of fears many Portlanders have, and it’s another excuse some of us select to not experience bikes in any respect.
I share this as a result of I hear quite a lot of tales about aggressive drivers and I fear that cops are both unable or unwilling to deal with them with the care and urgency they require. Creating a terrific biking metropolis is about way more than infrastructure. It’s a couple of pro-cycling tradition that takes vehicular violence critically.
Thanks Viv for sharing your story. Sorry this occurred to you and I hope to see you again in your bike very quickly.
