Friday, July 31, 2015

"Man Bicycling Across America Killed In Oklahoma Wreck"

"A man [Patrick Wanninkhof, 25] bicycling across America to raise money for affordable housing died after being hit by a car in western Oklahoma Thursday morning... another bicyclist - identified as Bridget Anderson, 22 - was hurt in the same crash. Troopers said she was stable when she was airlifted to OU Medical Center with a leg injury."

According to the trooper's report, Wanninkhof and Anderson were riding west when a westbound 2014 Chevy driven by Sarah Morris, 34, of Cordell hit them. She told troopers she was distracted by looking at her phone when she hit the bicyclists, according to the OHP report. Morris wasn't hurt, troopers said.

The report did not indicate whether Morris will be cited.
A comment on "Oklahoma Own News 9" said...
I'm just glad to see that none of you Perfect citizens (heavy sarcasm) have NEVER used your phone while you're driving!!
For the record, her phone rang, she looked down at it and that's all it took. I'm so sure that none of you have ever done any thing like that.
She wasn't texting, taking selfies or playing games. She glanced at her phone when it rang. I guarantee every single negative person on this thread has done and will continue to do the same thing, in your own cars, while you are driving. Idiots.
Via Reddit

29 comments:

Leland said...

If there isn't a citation, then there must be quite a bit more to this story.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

She told troopers she was distracted by looking at her phone...

I think this should be made punishable by death.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Yeah sure I killed someone a bicycle... but I was able to text my daughter a smiley face and an lol.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

She's lying when she says she merely glanced at her phone when it rang.

Stupid phone! It's the phones fault.... and the person who called. yeah. that's the ticket.

I was talking to a friend the other day. He was attempting to help his elderly father get his car into the dent shop. told me the dent shop cannot take the car for a month because texting and phone wrecks are making life awesome for the dent business.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I am going to be a heartless prick here. The victim was a very bright kid - he had an engineering degree and a masters in teaching for math/science. However, he must have been brainwashed [from his time spent in NYC and in college] because he thought the govt or some colective group can just presto create affordable housing in a place like NYC. Hell, he rode his bike past plenty of affordable housing on his ride to Oklahoma.

I do pray God takes care of him and his poor family and friends - he did some work for Habitat for Humanity and I have great respect for him for that. He was too idealistic for his own good.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickelit said...

Wanninkhof will be lionized by the press and an outraged public.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I'm not as interested in why he was on the road. That doesn't matter.
The obsession with non-stop conversation and connectivity to the point where drivers are distracted and causing accidents right and left... is an actual problem. If it's not OK to drive drunk, how on earth is it OK to drive and swerve in a state of distraction? If you cannot handle your phone while you drive, perhaps you should take some lessons in distracted driving. If your distraction forces you to swerve into pedestrians, you're doing it wrong.

Remember when we drove from A to B and we were cut off from communication? How on earth did we live through that?

yeah -the media will bleed it dry if they can get the PP story off the air.

Mumpsimus said...

I can't see the connection between biking cross-country and affordable housing. It's like fasting for clean air, or something.

Tank said...

I admit, in part, I had the same reaction as AJ above.

The report did not indicate whether Morris will be cited.

Manslaughter would be an appropriate "citation." JMHO.

ricpic said...

Top story on Drudge: cell phones cause cancer. So ya think that'll maybe make the roads safer by breaking people of the habit?.......me neither.

bagoh20 said...

I ride my bike all the time through the streets of the big city surrounded by drivers on their phones. I also drive and use my phone sometimes. Both are very dangerous. I can live...or die with it. There are people doing evil on purpose. I save my outrage for them.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Wanninkhof will be lionized by the press and an outraged public.

Doh!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

It's my own gender I'm talking about. On balance I swear I notice women partaking in the stupidest things in the car.
Yeah - guys too sometimes but it's women who do mascara nail polish and text while driving with one knee.

I'm not down with nanny government stopping any of it. We don't stop people from drinking, but life sure is miserable if you get a DUI. Distracted driving is distracted driving. Harsher penalties might help reduce it.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

speaking of Oklahoma, an illegal killed a local newscaster in a car accident a few weeks back. Didn't fit the narrative, so it wasn't big news. #AlLlivesMatterMyAss

Trooper York said...

Bikes kill.

bagoh20 said...

Anyway, this is all a distraction from the killing of Cecil, the hunting for his killer, and the international outrage of a lion being killed 3 years past his life expectancy.

It was the top story on the Today Show again today, with no mention of Planned Parenthood dismembering babies and selling the parts.

bagoh20 said...

What really bugs me is people on the phone driving slow in the fast lane...except when it's me doing it, because then it's necessary.

chickelit said...

Wanninkhof will be lionized by the press and an outraged public.

@Lem: It's definitely one of those puns with a "sell-by" date.

Rabel said...

OK 152 south of Elk City appears to be a very rural two-lane with a 65 MPH speed limit and a narrow shoulder, straight as an arrow mostly and not much traffic. It wouldn't take much of a distraction to run up on a pair of slow moving bikers. If it wasn't so straight, I'd call it a death trap for riders. Texting while driving is illegal in OK, but talking is not. They'll probably pull her phone records to see if she was texting before pursuing charges.

William said...

A few years back, in Manhattan, there used to be a thing with in line skates. You used to see people, oblivious to potholes, wheeling around in heavy traffic. To add an extra degree of difficulty, they would sometimes be chatting on their cellphones. I never saw any of them texting, however. Pussies......I haven't seen any inline skaters recently. Outside of the game preserve in Central Park, they've all been killed off.

Trooper York said...

People on bikes think they own the road. Half the city streets in Brooklyn are cut in half so some ass hole hipster can bike to work. Well guess what shit head. Take the subway like the rest of us. You are a road hazard and run over pedestrians more often than not. Soon enough yu will be road kill.

There ought to be a law that bike riding is limited to kids under 12 and Chinamen bringing me my Won Ton Soup!

Trooper York said...

I saw an elder lady get creamed by a bike messenger going against traffic and broke her hip.

ampersand said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ampersand said...

It's illegal to yak on the phone here, but that doesn't stop anyone. I have to keep an eye out especially for the people following me. If there eyes are focused on the vicinity of there pee pees I get out of the lane ASAP and let them pass.
If it was up to me it would be a $500 fine, $200 to the state, $200 to the local and $100 to the cop. But don't confiscate the phone, they probably wouldn't go 2 miles before they were at it again, and ,chi-ching, $500 fine*.

*Except black people of course, that would be racist.

ampersand said...

Why aren't the homeless biking for affordable housing? They've got plenty of time on their hands.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

@ampersand If there eyes are focused on the vicinity of there pee pees I get out of the lane ASAP and let them pass.

Thank you,.

I do too. I have no interest being run off the road (weather I'm in a my car or on my bike) by some selfish dip-sh*t who is texting instead of driving.

Trooper York said...

They are stealing bikes to protest the lack of affordable housing.

Get it right buddy!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Why aren't the homeless biking for affordable housing? They've got plenty of time on their hands.

I think booze and ciggies come first... + a hit of whatever they can find.