san francisco bicycle accident | Northern California Personal Injury Blog
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Teaches Safe Cycling
In the wake of several car-bicycle crashes that left bicyclists permanently injured or took their lives last year, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has increased its commitment to teaching people how to ride on the roads safely – and how to share the roads safely with bicyclists when driving a car.
After Portland and Seattle, San Francisco has the highest number of people who commute by bicycle of any city in the U.S., according to The Sacramento Bee. As of 2011, 75,000 trips in San Francisco each day were made by bicycle. All these bicyclists must face the particular challenges found in San Francisco, which include steep hills and drivers who sometimes express their frustration by honking, yelling, or making bad or hasty decisions that can cause an accident.
Although the city has added features for bicyclists and mounted a campaign to encourage motorists and bicyclists to share roads safely, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has noted that the results haven’t always kept pace with the growth of bicycling. Among other offerings, the Coalition offers a six-hour on-road bicycling class. Designed to follow a preliminary “ground class” that covers road rules, maintenance, and other issues, the on-road class teaches students how to bike safely, including when to use hand signals, how to anticipate the need to change gears on a hill, and more.
Bicycle accidents can cause serious injuries, especially when an unprotected bicyclist and a car collide. If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, call a knowledgeable San Francisco personal injury lawyer at Balamuth Law today at (888) 254-1234 for a free, confidential consultation.
Accused Driver in San Francisco Fatal Bike Accident to Stand Trial
An Oakland man accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist with his car in a San Francisco neighborhood last summer was ordered to stand trial in the upcoming case.
As reported August 3 by the SF Examiner, the accident occurred on the night of August, 13, 2010, when 37-year-old Joshua Calder allegedly struck Nils Linke, 21, who was visiting the United States from Germany. Calder reportedly fled the scene. But after witnesses gave police a description of the vehicle (an older model Mercedes Benz) and incident, he was located approximately two blocks away. According to authorities, eye witnesses reported that they saw Calder get out of his driver’s seat, move Linke’s bike to the side of the street, and trade seats with his girlfriend prior to fleeing the accident scene. Shortly following his arrest, Calder posted the $500,000 bail.
During the preliminary hearing, which started on July 25, attorneys on both sides of the case acknowledged that Calder had been drinking prior to the accident, while the Assistant District Attorney Todd Barrett claimed the defendant had a blood alcohol level equivalent to seven alcoholic drinks, in addition to THC in his system from using marijuana. District Attorney Barrett also declared that Calder had been speeding before allegedly hitting Linke from behind.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Newton Lam commanded Calder to stand trial on all of the allegations in court on September 1. Prosecutors said Calder pleaded not guilty to charges of drunken driving, hit-and-run, and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Bicyclists are incredibly vulnerable on the road, and it’s every driver’s solemn duty to always watch and act with their safety in mind. If you have lost a loved one in a bicycle accident due to dangerous or impaired driving, call 1-888-254-1234 for a free case consultation with the northern California wrongful death lawyers at Balamuth Harrington. We will help you hold negligent parties legally responsible for their wrongdoing.
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