Because we can't expect drivers to take precautions when they are driving blind.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

I've been doing a lot of morning runs this year. Usually up at 6 and it's dark and/or blowing snow. I use a Black Diamond running headlamp/taillamp and it's great; you get enough light that you can see and definitely be seen, both coming and going. Various bits of my clothing are reflective as well, which helps when I do encounter the occasional driver on the country roads where I'm running.

However, there's this other guy, lives in the next subdivision over, and he has been running every day for years. I see him on TWP Rd. 262 (NW of Calgary, it's a popular cycling route as well) whenever I commute at about 7 AM. Thing is, he doesn't wear a light, and his clothing has relatively little in the way of reflective stuff on it. So every time I go to work or to drive my kid to school early, I know I'm going to encounter this guy on an undulating, unlit two lane road, in the dark, and it might be blowing snow or whatever, the guy will be there as little more than a shadow, on either side of the road (depends on whether I'm earlier or later than his turnaround). I worry about that... it's not that I don't pay attention, and not that I don't give the guy all the room I can, but if there should ever be a combination of mistakes between the half-dozen commuters the guy is likely to encounter every morning, that guy has zero protection, and him running with no lights makes it more likely that he's going to surprise someone at some point.

Not saying in any way that this bears on the case in Hawaii - but as a runner or cyclist we owe it to ourselves and the rest of the traffic to make ourselves as visible as possible. Save the ninja stuff for other venues.

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Less is more.

the other day I was running facing traffic and saw a cop coming the other way totally engaged with all the technology in the passenger seat... computers, cameras, screens, etc. He never even saw me and would have hit me had I not moved slightly. Wonder if this came to play here.

Every grandpa teaches their grandkids how to find perspective and follow the yellow line when blinded by headlights or sun.

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Condolences and thoughts to the Family.

Sad to lose anyone let alone a member of the endurance community.

RIP

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"Just don�t abandon everything you�ve ever learned because of something someone said on the internet." - Eric McGinnis

Great post. (I'm not commenting on this incident, just that we should all use lights/reflectors/etc)

A local guy from Michigan. Didn't know him, but was apparently very active in the cycling community around here.

RIP.

Among other things, he was the organizer of a prominent local cycling race here in the Detroit area. http://www.birminghambikefestival.org/ I did not know him personally but have friends that did and they are devastated.

That is not something you ever want to hear. Prayers and thoughts for his family. Tough to be a cyclist anywhere these days, but very sad.

I was freaking out when I saw the headline, because I have a friend who is also a 1982 Hawaii finisher who's on vacation in Hawaii this week.

Very sad. Im sure i must have met this guy, not that many of us back in 82, it was a pretty tight community back then. And i know exactly where he got hit, I have turned up that road a couple times on rides, only to do a quick u turn within a mile because it was just too hairy. LIke the article said, no shoulder and a very narrow lane for cars, and very curvy. If a car going up has a good amount of speed and booking along while someone is coming down, then there is absolutely not one inch for them to cross over and miss a cyclist. They would have to slam on the brakes if they had any momentum, as it is a pretty steep climb and cyclists would not be going much over 8 mph.

Hope this horrible accident at the very leasts gets the island to take a look at fixing that road, seems it has been in front of them for a long time now. And this whole area is not in the middle of no where anymore, a whole city has sprouted up there over the past 10 years or so. My family and I stay there most of our trips now, got a month planned for this Oct. This hits very close to home for me on many levels.. )-;

The last time I'd ridden Waikoloa Road was a few years ago, and I decided I wasn't going to ride it again. Last week I was driving a couple of our Kona first-timer staff members on a mini tour of the island and drove it from Waikoloa to the upper highway. I was amazed to see that it's been repaved and widened for almost the entire distance. The only spot remaining where it's kind of narrow is the first half mile up from the helicopters, and that at least has a few feet of shoulder. Once the new part starts it's a brand new 8-foot shoulder all the way to the top. The only exception is the climb through the village where it goes four lanes with no shoulder, but there's a wide sidewalk and zero pedestrian traffic. Sad that it may have taken this accident to prompt the fix but it's now a beautiful ride. 12 miles and about 2500 feet of vert to the upper highway, then either 11 miles left into the headwind to Waimea or 31 miles right back to Kailua town. I did the loop from the King K today and it was bang on 70 miles. The sketchiest part was the upper highway near the ranches where the shoulder foliage is pretty overgrown.

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Sylvan Smyth | http://www.sportstats.asia | sylvan@sportstats.asia | Starvas

Thanks for the update. Glad to read about the new shoulder. Does anyone know if the driver was ever charged in this incident? I tried to look it up sometime within the past year and couldn't find any information online.

The answer to your question is found in the second sentence of this thread.

If you are inferring that the driver wasn't charged because he was a police officer, the link states that he was arrested and charged with negligent homicide

Now, if that stuck or not, or went any further to prosecution, we'll have to investigate further

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Amazing. A bike has all the rights to be on the road like any car. Guess it would have also been okay if he had hit a car from behind and killed the people

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Thanks for the clarification. I should have gone back and read the original story before posting earlier today. I tried searching within the past year to find an update on the status with the officer and couldn't find anything. I just tried again and found this story from February - http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/...-officer-fatal-crash - which states that the officer was terminated for being involved in a fatal collision with a bicyclist, removing physical evidence from a crime scene and providing false information after being involved in a traffic collision, but the criminal investigation was still ongoing. I couldn't find a more recent update doing a Google search on the officer's name.

SS,

Wow. This is great news. Thanks for the update

This unfortunate incident had been discussed here on this thread and else where as you know - KonaCoffee's Kona Help Thread.

I must confess that we had ridden the Waikoloa Road a few times in the past, and I my spidey-safty-sense, had put it in the somewhat unsafe category - narrow road, no shoulder, high speed traffic, high speed on the bike descending, chance for severe gusts of wind etc . . In fact, last year we stayed for a few days at a resort in Waikoloa Town - away from the ocean, prices are very reasonable.

This does open up a lot more options now for safer riding with the new shoulder. It appeared last year when we were there that they were starting this work up near the top and the upper levels HWY!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

The news locally has been an unhappy cycling community putting pressure on the district attorney. The district attorney was reelected recently and continues to remain silent on the lack of criminal charges against the former officer.

Climbing the village road has always felt safer. Maybe because you are moving slow enough to really hug the edge of the pavement and vehicles are moving slower going uphill. The most dangerous experiences I've had there are descending the section from the village to the Queen K where you need more road surface, all the drivers passing you are in a hurry and have no tolerance for cyclists:(

The construction on Kaiminani is also finished so if you're nuts and want and epic climb with lots of 20% pitches you can try that.

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Sylvan Smyth | http://www.sportstats.asia | sylvan@sportstats.asia | Starvas

Craigj532 decided to start a new post with this information.

The police officer who allegedly struck and killed Jeffrey Surnow on Waikoloa Road and then falsified his police reports has been indicted and charged with Negilgent Homicide in the First Degree and false reporting/evidence tampering. First Degree Negligent Homicide is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

This has been a long time coming.


Oct 13, 2016 05:38 PM
BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Former Hawaii County police officer, Jody Buddemeyer has been indicted for first degree negligent homicide.
Buddemeyer is accused of hitting a bicyclist on Waikoloa Road in South Kohala while driving a police car back in March 2015.

The cyclist, 63-year-old Jeffrey Surnow died that morning.
The indictedment also charges Buddemeyer with false reporting and tampering with evidence.
The Hawaii County police department says he was relieved of his duties in May.
A warrant is out for his arrest.
Copyright 2016 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Last edited by: craigj532: Oct 13, 16 22:21

Great news! I hope they follow through and convict and harshly sentence this heartless POS.

there was also another death during race week with wasn't mentioned at all.

WTC didn't mention it during the awards. #deplorable

Please provide any other information you have about this incident. Your post, without any more information, doesn't really add to this discussion.

This news is surprising and welcomed! For them to actually charge a police officer means they're taking it seriously.

I know this road well having grown up in Hilo. The hilly, technical terrain is fantastic for cycling but while the shoulders are extremely narrow, the bigger problem is drivers thinking they're still on the Queen K and ripping it at 50-60+ with tight turns and limited visibility (despite connecting to the Queen K at the bottom, much of the upper part of the road has brush and Ohia on the side, blocking views of curves). When I moved away 9 years ago, Saddle road was the same story, extremely dangerous but a wonder ride for cyclists, but they have since completely rebuilt the road with shoulders at times big enough to fit two cars. Hopefully they see that success and spread it out to more roads on the west side...

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