24 replies to this topic

[Patrick]

Hit and run donation through paypall on

http://www.stlbikefed.org/

Thanks everyone

[cleeland]

Dan Schmatz...any chance of THF adding to the fund, or maybe doing a matching challenge up to a certain amount?  It'd be great PR for that new team (of which Corky is a part, no?)

[DanSchmatz]

cleeland, on Jan 30 2008, 08:53 PM, said:

Dan Schmatz...any chance of THF adding to the fund, or maybe doing a matching challenge up to a certain amount?  It'd be great PR for that new team (of which Corky is a part, no?)

Actually I was wondering if you were going to add to the fund for the Variety Charity we are working with.

[System6]

ThomasG, on Jan 29 2008, 08:45 AM, said:

CVTCrunt, on Jan 28 2008, 02:47 PM, said:

Two local athletes were taken down by a large truck trying the "brush back" technique, forgetting there was a horse trailer behind.  Ghisallo shop owner, Corky Miller and Ironman Hawaii Triathlete, Nicole Burge were struck by the traitor on Old Olive Rd. across from Rombach's pumpkin patch Saturday afternoon.  While it could have been much worse, Corky was "Schmatzed" and will under-go surgery to pin back together his pieces of his shoulder.  Nicole suffered a broken collarbone, a broken rib, broken helmet and many scraps and cuts.  To make it worse the Driver DID NOT stop, leaving the scene.  They did get a partial license and description of the truck/traitor, but if anyone knows or hears of anything, pass it on to the Chesterfield police??  Countdown to the completion of the Chesterfield path that will alleviate the need for Old Olive travel altogether……

Get better Corky & Nicole!!!

Hasn't Old Olive Street Rd. been widened there?  If so, there was plenty of room for this truck and trailer and no possibility that this was an accident.

Old Olive Street most certainly has NOT been widened there.  It is a hazardous stretch with no shoulders, crumbling road-edge, high speed limits (45?), and drivers who feel like they're in an enormous hurry, even when it's 7 am on a Sunday.  We get a lot of cars/trucks making unsafe passes, honking from behind, cutting back in toward cyclists when they face oncoming traffic.  It's no-man's land, as far as bikes are concerned.  

A number of us have all but written off going down that stretch, just like you don't really want to ride up and down 109 from WHC to Babler park, either.

Fortunately, there are alternatives.  

If you ride WHC west past Long road and keep going, you end up in the valley area where Corky, Shawn, and Nicole most likely were headed, and you get there on a road that has 6' wide shoulders almost the entire way.  

I'd like to think that bikes and cars could come to peace, but riding that stretch of road on Old Olive is as inherently dangerous like walking into a biker bar in drag.

Interestingly, the Ghisallo club ride on Sat mornings traditionally has ridden out Old Olive on the way to Ossenfort and St. Albans, then ridden it on the way back also.  Recently, I saw a Mesa riding group that looked like it started from the Ghisallo lot, but it went Long to WHC, as I suggested above, and they had room safely for a double pace line.  I suspect that Corky and others will be rethinking the club ride route with this bit of first hand experience.

Nonetheless, we really do need to hope that the truck can be identified.  Those people are dangerous and need to be off the roads permanently.  Maybe if a case is brought, we can get cyclists to rally together when it goes to court to ensure an appropriate message is delivered.

[thefutureofamerica]

Does anybody know if there's a decent way to get back to Eatherton/Centaur by going through/around the airport/soccer park/megachurch? The satellite imagery on google maps doesn't show a paved way through, but it does show a lot of construction equipment building out the soccer park area, so it might be there now.

WHC isn't a bad idea, and I agree that it's better than the Old Olive route especially since they've finished the shoulder there and the megachurch out on Eatherton. But, I think a lot of people still have concerns about riding the stretch of WHC East of 109.

If nobody knows a good way through off-hand, I'll see about a scouting expedition on Saturday.

[Dr. T]

thefutureofamerica, on Feb 4 2008, 02:44 PM, said:

Does anybody know if there's a decent way to get back to Eatherton/Centaur by going through/around the airport/soccer park/megachurch? The satellite imagery on google maps doesn't show a paved way through, but it does show a lot of construction equipment building out the soccer park area, so it might be there now.

WHC isn't a bad idea, and I agree that it's better than the Old Olive route especially since they've finished the shoulder there and the megachurch out on Eatherton. But, I think a lot of people still have concerns about riding the stretch of WHC East of 109.

If nobody knows a good way through off-hand, I'll see about a scouting expedition on Saturday.

That would be a negative, unless you have some serious cyclocross skilz.  To get to the Eatherton/Centaur corner you could go directly down (north on) eatherton hill (fun descent) or down the "secret" hill off Hager lane (hairy descent) - both from WHC.

[thefutureofamerica]

I was thinking about coming from the Chesterfield Airport Rd side.  I've seen large numbers of cars turning out onto Chesterfield Airport Rd around church let-out time in the past, and I've wondered if there's a decent way through there, but I could have just been seeing traffic from a soccer tourney or some such.

[cleeland]

DanSchmatz, on Jan 31 2008, 01:31 PM, said:

cleeland, on Jan 30 2008, 08:53 PM, said:

Dan Schmatz...any chance of THF adding to the fund, or maybe doing a matching challenge up to a certain amount?  It'd be great PR for that new team (of which Corky is a part, no?)

Actually I was wondering if you were going to add to the fund for the Variety Charity we are working with.

That's been a burning question in your mind?  Really?

Well, sure.  Done.

[MugBan]

thefutureofamerica, on Feb 4 2008, 02:44 PM, said:

But, I think a lot of people still have concerns about riding the stretch of WHC East of 109.

Don't be afraid of this stretch anymore.  Since the repave job (incl. shoulders) it's smooth (and safe) sailing!  They're still doing a little work on a small section between Long and Baxter, but that'll be done soon.

[Nik]

Does anyone know if the police made any arrests in this hit and run?

Nik