Kansas Cyclist - Kansas Bicycle Guide and Reference

A 4-year-old boy riding a bicycle with training wheels was hit and killed by a delivery truck May 8th in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Mason P. McBride died when the truck hit him and ran him over in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he lived. The truck was a delivery vehicle for Rent-A-Center, and was driven by a 21-year-old from Lee’s Summit, who said he did not see the small child on his bike.

The driver remained at the scene and was taken to police headquarters for questioning, though police characterized the child’s death as a “tragic accident,” and the driver will not face charges.

“To our knowledge the driver was not impaired during our investigation. I think it was just a mistake. The little boy just crossing the street and the truck being bigger and the driver maybe not paying one hundred percent attention like we all do sometimes, and didn’t see the little boy until it was too late,” Officer Jeremy Dickstein with the Blue Springs Police Department said.

Police said the driver was “devastated” by what had happened.

The boy’s family planned a vigil for Mason at their apartment complex Friday night.

Read more: Kansas City Star, MyFox Kansas City, KCTV-5, KMBC-TV9.

Photo courtesy KCTV-5.

David Lee Harrison of Enid, Oklahoma was killed after being struck from behind by a car.

Harrison, 46, was riding his Allez Elite Vittoria bicycle when he was hit by a 2008 Toyota Avalon driven by Duard Spleth, 84, of Waukomis. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, the cause of the accident was listed as “distraction inside vehicle”. Spleth said that he looked down to adjust the air conditioning controls on the steering wheel and hit Harrison’s bicycle from behind.

The accident is under investigation, according to the OHP, but charges have not yet been filed.

The collision occurred on Tuesday, April 29th, at at 5:40 p.m. and Harrison, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, and admitted in critical condition with head and trunk injuries. He died about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Harrison worked as a physician’s assistant in the emergency department at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center under Dr. Michael Ogle, who said “He didn’t make a fuss out of caring for the patient. He worked 55 hours a week for me, he was a hard worker. It will take two people to fill that hole.” David leaves behind a wife and 2 boys.

Read more: Bicyclist is critical and Man killed in bicycle wreck remembered from The Enid News & Eagle, and Bicyclist Dies After Wreck from KSBI-TV in Oklahoma City.

The family of Cheramara Motley is mourning the loss of the 5-year old girl, and praying for her brother, 14-year old Greg Womack, who is in critical but stable condition at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

The two children were critically injured in St. Louis on Monday, April 28th, when they were hit by an SUV while riding their bicycle, the impact of which threw them into the path of a Metro bus coming from the opposite direction.

Greg had picked up his sister from a Head Start program, and they were headed home, with Greg pedaling the bike as Cheramara stood on the “pegs” of the back wheel.

The driver of the SUV has admitted to inattention, according to police. “He was traveling southbound on Sarah, when he looked up the kids were in front of him on the bicycle,” said Lt. Col. Reggie Harris of the St. Louis Police Department. The only skid marks on the street appeared to be from the bus.

Police investigators are looking into the incident, and no charges have been filed. Harris said the accident reconstruction team would be reviewing video from the bus’ on-board camera. Some reports indicate that the police are leaning toward declaring it “just a tragic accident.”

Members of the community gathered at the scene of the tragedy for a vigil on Wednesday evening, and the family thanked people for their support and asked for prayers. Cheramara and Greg’s mother, Carrie Motley, led the crowd in a song to remember her five year old daughter, and candles were lit in Cheramara’s honor.

“Just keep my baby in your heart and your mind and in your prayers, and keep them going up for my son,” said Motley. “For those parents out there that have babies, cherish them,” she said. “Because you never know.”

Read more: Crash kills girl on bike, injures brother, Girl Killed, Boy In Critical Condition After Being Struck By SUV, Prayer Vigil For 5 Year Old Killed In Tragic Crash, Mother of Children Hit by Car and Bus Speaks Out, Crowd prays for children struck by car.

Image courtesy KSDK.

Randy Van Zee of Sheldon, Iowa was killed on Friday, April 4, 2008 when struck from behind by a car on a county road near Sheldon.

The driver was 21-year old Sarah Johnson of Archer, Iowa, who was cited for not having insurance and for failing to stop in a safe distance. The collision is still under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

In 2004, Van Zee participated as a solo cyclist in the Race Across America (RAAM), riding 2,958 miles from San Diego to the New Jersey coast in 11 days, 16 hours and 26 minutes. After crashing his bike in Ohio, Randy rode the rest of the route with a broken pelvis. He became only the 169th person to finish solo RAAM.

In 2007, Randy won the Gut Check 212, a 435-mile bike ride across South Dakota, one of only three riders to complete the ride, finishing in 36 hours and 45 minutes.

Randy Van Zee, 56, is survived by his wife, his mother, three children and six grandchildren. His funeral is Tuesday in Sheldon.

Read more: Obituary, Des Moines Register, KTIV-TV, Sioux City Journal, , UltraRob’s Adventures, Velonews

Warning: The comments on the Des Moines Register article are not for the faint of heart - just amazingly callous and mean-spirited.

From The Hutchinson News:

The condition of a 15-year-old Hutchinson bicyclist seriously injured when he was hit by a car Thursday afternoon was upgraded Friday.

Police had not completed an accident report by late Friday, so the names of those involved were not available.

Officials at Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wichita, where the teenager was airlifted after the 5:15 p.m. accident, listed him in good condition.

The cyclist was eastbound in the westbound lane of Fifth Avenue near Ford Street when he collided head-on with a 2002 Saturn. The car’s driver told police the sun obstructed her view, said Hutchinson Police Sgt. Eric Buller.

The car’s windshield was shattered, and the teen received head and leg injuries, Buller said. No citations have been filed.

If the report is correct, it sounds like he was riding on the wrong side of the road (against traffic rather than with traffic).

Hope he’s OK.