Please BE KIND to Cyclists

05/27/2024

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12/26/2019

Six years ago to this day Please BE KIND to Cyclists organized one of the saddest memorial rides since in Georgetown, Texas. Joseph Holan, father of four young children, husband of 21 years, son and a friend of Please BE KIND to Cyclists. Joseph was only 44.

Joseph “Joe” Eugene Holan of Georgetown was killed in a tragic car and cyclist crash on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, as he traveled to work on his bicycle.

Joe documented his love for cycling on his blog, "Advantage Bike," where he expressed his concerns about cycling safety; "The longer my concerns go unheard, the more I feel like I'm in a race against time. I've been targeted by a few motorists over the past month," and he expressed his frustrations over the lack of bike infrastructure; "It's been several weeks since I've posted...lots of reasons why, mostly discouraged by recent attempts to advocate for safer roads along my commute route."

It's difficult to express the sadness felt by everyone who attended his Memorial Ride and the struggle his wife of 21 years, 4 children and parents are now facing. Memorial Rides are just one way to show support for fallen members of the cycling community and their families and friends. As of yet, the driver has not been issued a ticket or held responsible for this crash despite Joe having years of bike commuting experience, wearing reflective clothing, having all the lighting required by law and following the rules of the road. Join Please BE KIND to Cyclists to continue to work for safer roads, improved awareness, equal enforcement and harmony between motorists and cyclists to honor the efforts of Joe and those like him.

12/17/2019

Early this morning a young girl lost her life in the streets of Austin Texas, join Please BE KIND to Cyclists in a moment of silence when you read this message. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends who will miss her dearly.

The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. on Cameron Road near Clayton Lane and I-35.

11/27/2019

Remembering an amazing Father, husband, friend and member of the cycling community Mr. Fusselman lost his life on May 17, 2014.
RIP Mr. John Halsey Fusselman

Son says cyclist died ‘doing what he loved’

"Friends and family members are mourning the loss of a man killed while riding his bicycle Saturday in western Travis County.
The crash happened shortly after 7:15 a.m. at the intersection of Bee Caves Road and Creek’s Edge Parkway.
Described by friends as an avid cyclist, John Fusselman, 67, was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Medics took Fusselman to University Medical Center Brackenridge with life-threatening injuries, according to investigators. Fusselman died at the hospital, loved ones say.
“John Halsey Fusselman was an avid bicyclist and nature lover,” wrote John’s son, whom is also named John Fusselman. “He loved God, his wife, his son and the great outdoors. He died doing what he loved"

11/22/2019

Remembering Justin Patrick, lack of infrastructure should not be a excuse for drivers not to be aware of all vulnerable road users.
RIP Justin
January 23 2012 killed The victim is Justin Patrick Murphy, 25, who was biking on the frontage road of Research Boulevard near Oak Knoll Drive (where’s there’s no bike lane, shoulder, or sidewalk), when he was killed by a Ford F-150, which then typically left the scene.

An Austin man who police say struck and killed a bicyclist with a truck in late January 2012 was sentenced Thursday to 10 years probation in a separate

11/19/2019

Remembering Andrew Runciman, Hit and Run Victim on January 23 2012 Andrew was killed he was only 25

http://photoblog.statesman.com/a-ghost-bike-and-a-memorial-bike-ride-for-andrew-runciman-hit-and-run-victim

http://bekindtocyclists.blogspot.com/2011/07/andrew-runciman-memorial-ride.html

11/18/2019

Remembering Adam Raymond, a father, husband, optometrist, soldier, friend, neighbor and someone who loved cycling, just like all of us. Adam moved near Austin mainly because we wanted to ride his bicycle on the hills.

Thank you for your service Adam Raymond. On March 23, 2007 Adam lost his life when he was struck by a driver riding in in the opposite side of the road, Adam was was three weeks away from redeployment to Iraq.

"My neighbor, Adam Raymond, was killed while cycling near our home in Dripping Springs on March 23. Born in Chicago, Adam was an Army veteran and was about to deploy to Iraq with his unit. As an optometrist, Adam loved his work and was very good at his chosen profession. Adam was married to Libby and recently was blessed with a son, Adrian, who is now just four months old. Adam was an avid cyclist and could often be found cycling in and around the Austin area".

"Man who struck, killed Hays Co. cyclist convicted of reckless driving

10:30 PM CST on Tuesday, February 17, 2009

By SHELTON GREEN
KVUE News

Friday, February 13th, 2009 is a day Libby Raibstein says she thought would never come.

"Honestly, I started crying," the nurse practitioner said in an interview Tuesday. "I was just so … I couldn't believe that there was that hope of getting some type of closure."

In March of 2007, Raibstein's husband, 36-year old Adam Raymond, an Austin optometrist and father of a newborn at the time, was killed while riding his bicycle on Mount Gainor Road in Dripping Springs. Raymond was three weeks away from redeployment to Iraq.

D.P.S. investigators say 26-year old Bradly Danz of Wimberley, who was travelling in the opposite direction, was speeding and entered Raymond's lane hitting him head-on with a Dodge Ram 3500 pick-up tru"ck.

On Friday, February 13th a Hays County jury of six convicted Danz of reckless driving, a charge which could bring 30-days in jail and a $300 fine. However, Raymond's family, defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed on two-years probation for Danz.

"It's a small victory," said Raibstein. "I don't think it fully fits the crime, but I'm happy. It does bring me some sense of peace that, unanimously, six people saw that he did do something wrong and they called him on it."

A few months after the accident, a Hays County grand jury declined to indict Danz on any charges. A few months later, in an unusual move, Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe filed her own charge against Danz for reckless driving.

"It's a culture," said Al Bastidas, a cyclist and founder of an organization called "Please Be Kind To Cyclists."

Bastidas says the move by the Hays County district attorney to charge Danz and the jury's decision to convict him means that attitudes towards cyclists may be changing.

Libby Raibstein is hoping her husband's death serves as a reminder to cyclists and to drivers to obey the laws and to look out for each other.

"Just watch what you're doing, you're not the only one on the road in a car that's protecting you, and cyclists just keep an eye out for the motorists" she said"

11/14/2019

August 09, 2015 Remembering a life taken too early, Brian Silva. Brian was on his way to his best friend's house to show him the bicycle he had just purchased. Brian was only able to enjoy his new bike for a few miles before an unaware and possibly distracted driver going at high speed took his life... he was only 16 years old.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2015-08-10/remembering-traffic-fatality-43/

11/07/2019

Please BE KIND to Cyclists produced this video to bring awareness to all road users, every crash is preventable if we only make the right choices, please don't be distracted.
Please share, if 500.000 people watch this 29 second video our hope is that 1% of those people become more conscious that cyclists are also people with little girls, just like them.
We'll change mentalities one post at the time,

https://www.facebook.com/PleaseBEKINDtoCyclists/videos/159434654251232/

11/06/2019

Remembering our friend Arjun Khanna,

Arjun Khanna, 43 (Fri. August 26, 2006)
The driver was charged with intoxication manslaughter. Below are the initial news articles, and here's the Aug. 31 News 8 Austin report. According to the article, there were 226 traffic accidents involving bikes last year, and only 109 so far this year. The article predictably blames cyclists for breaking the law, ignoring the fact that motorists break the law in far greater numbers than cyclists, and that motorists are at fault in the overwhelming majority of car-bike collisions.
From the Statesman, August 27, 2006

The driver of a Toyota Tundra that struck and killed a bicyclist Saturday afternoon on Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360) was in custody, and investigators anticipate filing alcohol-related charges, Austin police said.
The bicyclist, an unidentified 43-year-old man, was taken to Brackenridge Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m., police said.

Witnesses said the pickup, which was swerving while traveling north, veered into the paved shoulder and struck the bicyclist about 4:50 p.m. in the 7800 block of North Capital of Texas Highway.

11/06/2019

A movement called Please BE KIND to Cyclists was borned the day after Gay was killed in 2006

TRAGEDY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:
Gay Simmons Anniversary Memorial Ride
Picture
The untimely death of Gay Simmons, who was struck and killed by a motorist in a tragic hit-and-run accident on April 17, 2006, launched a movement to change the way motorists and cyclists interact. Due to a change in TxDOT policy, the ghost bike memorial at the location of the crash had to be removed but was replaced with a smaller memorial. This new memorial (like all the ghost bike memorials) serves as a reminder to passing vehicles to respect each other and drive carefully so that other families don't have to suffer the same heartache of losing a loved one. The Simmons family has played, and continues to play, an integral role in the success of Please BE KIND to Cyclists. We are supremely grateful for their support.