Help ID A Cyclist

In a sad story, an unitentified man who was probably a cyclist washed up on the beach last week.  Authorities need our help trying to identify him. (thanks Marcie for the tip)

From the Suffolk District Attorney:

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Authorities Seeking ID of Revere Beach Remains

BOSTON, May 5, 2014—State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man whose remains washed up on Revere Beach last week.

The conditions of the remains have thus far hindered investigators’ efforts to identify the man or determine his ethnicity, but forensic anthropologists consulted by the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit have opined that he was an adult between 20 and 40 years old – and likely on the younger end of that range.

The jeans themselves were American Eagle brand blue jeans with a 30” waist, suggesting a slim build, cinched with a black, braided leather belt. Inside one of the pockets was the key to a Kryptonite bicycle lock.  The key was not registered.  He was also wearing boxer shorts bearing an image resembling a Volkswagen Bug with a surfboard on its rooftop.

A passerby spotted the remains in shallow water along the shoreline at about 11:30 on April 30 and contacted State Police, who, with Revere Police, are attempting to locate his family or friends. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of his death.

“Somewhere, there may be a mother, father, son, or daughter suffering the worst kind of uncertainty,” Conley said. “If we can identify this man, we can at least put an end to that waiting and worrying and allow them some closure. Even if members of the public don’t have specific information, they can share these details online and, perhaps, help us reach the loved ones who need to know.”

State Police detectives have already begun reviewing missing persons reports that may be of assistance and, through the Commonwealth Fusion Center, have notified law enforcement agencies across Massachusetts of their investigation. Members of the public who have specific information may call the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817. Others without information but who wish to help are asked share the following link: http://wp.me/pKHdm-1Vk.

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Globe Highlights Failure Of Justice In Wellesely Fatal Hit And Run

The globe had a front page article today about the lack of an indictment for Dana McCoomb, the truck driver who killed cyclist Alex Motsenigos last year.

It’s a common refrain among local ­cyclists: Want to kill someone and get away with it? Run them over while they’re on a bicycle.

Within Boston’s growing cycling community, a perceived lack of criminal prosecution of motorists involved in fatal bike crashes has been a regular source of outrage in recent years. That ire came to a ­fever pitch last week, when a grand jury investigation of a Wellesley bike crash with seemingly copious evidence — video footage, witnesses defending the deceased bicyclist, a truck driver who had fled the scene and had an extensive history of driving infractions — came back with no charges.

The grand jury’s decision, bicyclists contend, is evidence of a wider problem: Most people do not respect the rights of bike riders.

“The message that we got from this particular case,” said David Watson, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, “is that, clearly, members of the general public still don’t care enough about bicyclists’ safety.”

(VIA)

As if to prove the entire point of the article, the comment section is a wasteland…depressing.

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Cyclist Hit At Roxbury Crossing

More information when I get it, as always feel free to leave any info you have in the comments. Hope everyone is alright.

This from the person who sent me the picture:

“Hard to tell how she is, was strapped into a stretcher and taken by ambulance. Several cop cars and ambulances at the scene. Her bike was pulled aside. Tires were mangled. Seems like she was crossing the intersection but not sure what direction car was coming from.”

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Female Cyclist Killed By MBTA Bus On Huntington Ave

EDIT: The name of the cyclist has been released it was Kelsey Rennebohm, who died late Friday. She was a Seattle native who was enrolled in the counseling psychology master’s degree program at Boston College. (via)

More here

A female cyclist was killed when struck by an MBTA bus Friday night. This is not the first time someone has been killed at this location…its about damn time something is done to make this stretch of road safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

From CBS:

A woman cyclist was killed in a crash involving an MBTA bus Friday night in Boston.

MBTA Police say the accident happened on Huntington Avenue outbound at Forsyth Street.

Investigators say several vehicles were in close proximity to the accident site when it happened and it was not immediately clear which one had collided with the cyclist.

After a thorough investigation, police say they found evidence that the MBTA bus had made contact with the victim.

The bus operator has been questioned. No charges have been filed. The investigation is ongoing.

The victim’s name has not yet been released, but police said she was in her twenties.

With no breakdown lane or bike lane on much of Huntington Avenue, the stretch of road is notoriously dangerous for cycling.

From WCVB:

A woman who was riding her bike was struck and killed by an MBTA bus Friday evening, transit officials said.

The bicyclist, in her 20s, was killed while riding on Huntington Avenue near Northeastern University around 10:30 p.m.

The woman, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Huntington Avenue at Forsyth Street.

“The bus operator has been questioned as part of this ongoing police investigation,” said spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

He said details of the accident remain undetermined and forensic experts are investigating.

A police spokesman said no citations have been issued and the investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing.

EDIT: update from The Globe

Officials are investigating the involvement of an MBTA bus in an accident that left a woman dead after she fell from her bicycle into traffic Friday night, police said.

“An MBTA bus was involved in the accident,” said Officer James Kenneally, a Boston police spokesman.

The victim was in her late 20s, Kenneally said. He said no charges have been issued at this time.

The accident occurred around 10:25 p.m. on the outbound side of Huntington Avenue at its intersection with Forsyth Street, said Joe Pesaturo, an MBTA spokesman, in an email Saturday.

“The preliminary investigation is focused on an MBTA Route 39 bus that was in the area of the accident at the time the 911 call was received,” Pesaturo said.

Police questioned the driver of the bus, he said.

“Like others, he was interviewed by police,” Pesaturo said.

The accident occurred near the Northeastern University campus, but the victim had no relation to the university, said Renata Nyul, a spokeswoman for the school.

Boston police could not say whether the victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Pesaturo would not comment on whether the bus driver was aware of any involvement in the accident.

“Investigators are working to establish facts,” he said.

The intersection where the accident occurred was blocked off by police tape Friday night leaving a stretch of Huntington Avenue closed.

The incident is under investigation by transit and city police.

EDIT: The Mayor has made a comment (via)

“That’s the third accident we’ve had where somebody has lost their life and I’ve asked the transportation department to take a look at that roadway to see what we can do to make it safer for cyclists and automobiles,” said Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

I am glad that at least there is the appearance of action, it will be up to all of us to make sure they follow through with this.

EDIT: The BCU is reporting she may have fallen into the street, I agree with them that bike lanes + reduced speed would go a long way to making this road better.

Eyewitnesses to the crash told the police that Rennebohm appeared to have lost her balance and fallen off her bike from the sidewalk and into the path of a Route 39 MBTA bus, according to Boston Police Department sources familiar with the investigation.

This new information puts a different spin on events for many cyclists who may have assumed that Rennebohm’s injuries were received while riding her bike in the street. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that the instincts of those who are demanding bike lanes on Huntington Avenue are wrong. In fact, the way the accident happened highlights a secondary benefit that bike lanes have for pedestrians—-that of creating a buffer space between moving traffic and people on the sidewalk. It may also, as details unfold, speak to the need to reduce speeds on the street.

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Cyclist Hit In Cambridge

VIA Universal Hub:

From twitter:

“Bicyclist transported to the hospital w/ serious injuries after she was struck by a truck making a right turn”

More if I get updates.

Dear drivers, please check your mirrors before making turns, even right ones. In the same way you wouldn’t make a left hand turn across multiple lanes without looking behind you, imagine that the right hand space between you and the curb is another lane. Often filled with cyclists.

EDIT: Got this report

“fuck fuck fuck. cyclist vs. tractor trailer at windsor and main in cambridge. didn’t see a bike but saw a silver and green lazer style helmet behind the tape. detectives there”

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