Driver, text messaging on cell phone, kills cyclist

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/26/D8E4AGFG3.html


QUOTE

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo.


A 17-year-old likely will face misdemeanor charges after allegedly losing
control of his car while text messaging and hitting a bicyclist.

The bicyclist, Jim R. Price of Highlands Ranch, died Friday, two days after
the accident.

"We do not believe it was an intentional act, but it was inattentiveness to
the roadway," said Lt. Alan Stanton, spokesman for Douglas County Sheriff's
Office.

"The investigation showed that he was text-messaging on his cell phone" at
the time of the accident, said Stanton.

The driver could face a charge of careless driving resulting in death,
Stanton said. Under Colorado law, the teen could face up to a year in
prison.

It was the second time Price, an avid cyclist, had been hit by car. He
suffered a broken ankle two years ago when he was hit while riding on a bike
path. His wife, Shirley, said he had been especially mindful of cars since
then.

Shirley Price wasn't angry with the teen. "I feel sorry for the teenager,"
she said. "It was a stupid mistake," she told the Rocky Mountain News.

END QUOTE

The bicyclist was known as "Bicycle Billy" and was 63yo. He was very
active in certain bicycle forums.

Highlands Ranch is about 5 miles west of me. I was on Wildcat Parkway,
the street where he was hit, just last week.

Colorado Bicycler wrote:
The bicyclist was known as "Bicycle Billy" and was 63yo. He was very
active in certain bicycle forums.

Highlands Ranch is about 5 miles west of me. I was on Wildcat Parkway,
the street where he was hit, just last wk.

He was known as Biker Billy on Bicycling and sydney on Bike Forums. Hw
was active on many other forums as well. He was an expert on tech
issues, and always willing to help. Bicycling Magazine has (at least
for now) renamed their tech forum online after him, and Bike Forums has
posted a sticky in the maint forum for people to post on. His death
has been reported in newspapers as far away as Sweden, The Associated
Press picked it up, and ABC Radio ran a piece.

"He was known as Biker Billy on Bicycling and sydney on Bike Forums"

I stand corrected. Somewhere, perhaps in a news article, I remembered
seeing the other.

In any event, it is a very sad loss, Reminds me of Ken Kifer.

For more information, please see the stickies at:

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=10