14 ms·

Linux developer Seth Vidal killed in Hit and Run accident on his bike.

80 points by codesuela 13y ago

unwind 13y ago
Yesterday's submission: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6013989 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6013989.
- codesuela 13y ago
  thanks, I hit Ctrl+F Seth but did not find anything in the top or recent submissions
fein 13y ago
This is why we need bike lanes. Also, make sure you wear lights at night guys/gals. You can buy cheap red flashers from the dollar store.
- hkmurakami 13y ago
  Also reflective clothing.
- NIL8 13y ago
  Sad news. I don't ride my bike out on the roads because of the danger of being hit. I often marvel at the courage, audacity, and sometimes foolishness of those who are brave enough to ride their bikes on our roads. There needs to be a stronger push to makes this safer. Bike lanes should be in every city in the country. Everyone would be better off if there were bike lanes and bike use was encouraged. I realize that this probably isn't OP's intended point, but it's worth mentioning.
  - fein 13y ago
    I ride in the street every day, and violate our "no bikes on the sidewalks" rule constantly for my own safety. Just last week I was almost hit while hogging the lane to make a left into my apartment complex by a car that thought it would be more fun to pass on the left (over the double yellow)... while I was making said left turn. This was in broad daylight; I can only image what would have been the case had it been at night.
- recursive 13y ago
  The idea that bike lanes always make cycling safer is not universally accepted. Many cyclists believe that, at least in certain circumstances, it's safer to operate in the same lanes as motor vehicles. There are a number of reasons, but a couple of the main ones are increased visibility and reduced lane conflicts in right turns.
hkmurakami 13y ago
Oh man. I was hit by a car from behind while cycling like Seth 2 months ago. The car was travelling at 50mph and if I had been hit straight on (I was hit by the sideview mirror) I could have easily, easily been in Seth's shoes. (I was in the hills and had to be helicoptered to the hospital) I'm not sure how to describe it but I'm sitting here in front of my Linux desktop feeling really really uneasy. I tend to laugh off the accident these days but it's really hitting me that I could have been dead and not be able to write this post.
- kliao 13y ago
  i'm glad you're ok, haj!
lnanek2 13y ago
Kind of silly he was a programmer and should be logical, but then he rode a bike. It would be great if it was safe to ride around on our roads without a crash cage around you, but it isn't. Cycling is 1% of all trips and 2% of all deaths. If you can afford a car/taxi/shuttle/bus/etc. and value your life, you should not be getting on one.
- jonphenow 13y ago
  Are you saying that riding a bike is not logical? Minneapolis is pretty bike-safe. Bike lanes, commuter trails. Bicyclists should have helmets, lights and ride carefully at night. I'm not sure how good Durham is, but I don't think this is the time or place to say that its just more logical to pay to get around your city.
  - arethuza 13y ago
    Also, if you wanted to be purely logical about it you would have to balance the health benefits of cycling regularly against the risk of accidents.
    - ethomson 13y ago
      By this logic, I certainly shouldn't drive anywhere, instead I would commute by commercial aircraft or heavy rail locomotive.
- _neil 13y ago
  Maybe his logic favored the fact that bicycles are the most efficient mode of transportation.
- elehack 13y ago
  There is one thing that anyone can do to help fix this situation. Bicycle. 1, increased numbers of cyclists aid awareness among drivers and others. 2, increased demand helps justify building bike lanes, etc. Yeah, it's a vicious/virtuous circle situation. It's tough until things improve. But accusing those working on the cycling side of folly only makes it worse.
rcavezza 13y ago
Riding a bike is dangerous. Take special precautions. Be aware of your surroundings. Wear bright colors. Wear extra lights if possible. I am too scared to ride a bike in Boston, but I always make sure to check twice before opening my car door after parallel parking. Be safe, bikers of HN.
- savszymura 13y ago
  >Riding a bike is dangerous Not true. However I agree with all the other safety tips. Cycling is as dangerous as walking (as a pedestrian). Source - http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/cycle-helmets-evidencebrf.pdf http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/cycle-...
  - old-gregg 13y ago
    Not in the US: I have not seen a single US city yet with proper bike lanes. At best (and this is rare) you're separated by a solid line which is not enough. But most of the time you're basically on your own. I just looked up the scene of the accident at 1700 Hillandale Road, Durham on Google Street View. If you're on a bike there's nothing for you - you're like a slow engineless motorcycle. This is _very_ dangerous.
    - Jach 13y ago
      Come to Redmond, WA sometime. http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/log/68cddaf2-3fd8-4a67-9468-4c6ec46ba41b.JPG http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/log/68cddaf2-3fd8-4a67... (Of course I drive everywhere, and two of my housemates have been winged. At least it's more likely to be by a Prius than a pickup.)
    - ben336 13y ago
      I'm a Durham resident. The city as a whole does not have great accomodations for bikers on the roads. It has some great bike paths, but in places where that isn't an option you generally are on the road with cars and very little leeway to get out of the way.
    - 13y ago
ned_roberts 13y ago
Just to add more fuel to the bike vs car fire: Did anyone else catch that the driver was driving with a revoked license? [1] Clearly he shouldn't have been operating a vehicle and probably had a history of dangerous driving. But hey, this is America, we gotta drive. [1] http://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-durham-hit-and-run-that-killed-bicyclist/12644209/ http://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-durham-hit-and-run-that-k...
- wizzard 13y ago
  Good to know the guy turned himself in (apparently). This should be the link of note now.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
gbraad 13y ago
... :-( Condolences to my fellow Fedora community members and those who have worked with him at Red Hat. He will be missed. Thanks Jono Bacon for his message: http://www.jonobacon.org/2013/07/09/remembering-seth-vidal/ http://www.jonobacon.org/2013/07/09/remembering-seth-vidal/
dav 13y ago
Very sad. A close friend of mine was an acquaintance of Seth's. He pointed out this video of Seth talking about biking around Durham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wE3giRsLKso http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wE3gi...
VincentEvans 13y ago
Personally, I find it odd that traffic laws in US actually mandate (!) that bicyclists are to use the roadway and not the sidewalk. Growing up in former USSR, I, along with other kids, used a bike to get around and for pleasure and have always stayed on the sidewalk (I don't think there were any laws about bikes). From experience, I feel there's very little chance of injuring anyone, and even if it does happen - it is likely to be much less frequent and much less serious than what we observe with the bikes sharing the road with the cars. On rare occasions (rural locations) where there was no sidewalk - you'd ride towards oncoming traffic, same as what common sense recommends for pedestrians - so that you can see the cars and can avoid them if situation calls for it. That's probably illegal in US, since it appears that bikes here are somehow deemed more like motor vehicles and not pedestrians. To conclude - I think the status quo is misguided (originally wrote stupid) and dangerous and traffic laws oughtta be changed to put soft squishy humans on two wheels on the sidewalks.
- irremediable 13y ago
  I used to think as you do concerning the pavement. However, experience cycling[1] has taught me that the pavement is not a safer place to cycle. Cars expect slow-moving pedestrians on the pavement, not fast-moving bicycles. Consequently, cycling on the pavement leads to a lot of collisions with cars as they pull in/out of driveways. [1] In Oxfordshire, UK -- this may be inapplicable to the US.
  - VincentEvans 13y ago
    You go as far as to say that riding a bike on a sidewalk is not a safer place for the bicyclist as compared to riding it on a roadway along with cars? I'd expect you to be in a minority in this, your experience must be very different from mine. The way I see it - if my 13 y/o daughter takes a bike to go to convenience store a couple of blocks down the street to get some ice cream with friends - I sure hope she breaks the traffic laws and stays on the sidewalk.
    - mzs 13y ago
      Most places in US children (and adults on bikes accompanying those children) are allowed to ride on sidewalks by law. I do find it safer to ride on the roads though mainly because of dogs, joints, and car's from driveways and making right turns. But the main concern is that on a sidewalk if I were going as fast as on the road I would be a danger to not only myself but other pedestrians.
Patrick_Devine 13y ago
Seth, you'll be missed.
swayvil 13y ago
Hurtling multiton hunks of steel are incompatible with humans and other living things. We shouldn't mix them, but we do.
- antitrust 13y ago
  Even bike lanes may not be enough. I'd prefer separate roads. That's sort of the approach taken by the green belts in my city, which allow you to bike alternate routes to some major destinations. Unfortunately, it's mixed pedestrian/bike traffic.
antitrust 13y ago
The inevitable biking debate continues. If the US had bike lanes, and bikes didn't choke traffic back to 8 mph as I see them doing every day on major streets, causing a half-mile backup[1], I think the US would be more friendly to bikes. The problem is a sub-set of bike riders who generally are weekenders and seem to take pleasure in holding up traffic because it makes them feel important. Then in retaliation, there's a sub-set of car drivers who become enraged by this and act out typical road rage, except here it's a 2,000 lb vehicle versus a 48-lb vehicle with no external frame. I don't think the solution is any of the following: 1. Car drivers suck 2. Bike riders suck 3. We need bike lanes! I think it's going to require behavioral changes from both car drivers and bike riders, and probably a redesign of cities to be bike-accessible. Back to the topic at hand: Seth's death is tragic and he will be missed. I think a lot of our rage comes from the frustration at losing someone who was such a talented contributor and also a person many of us admired for his personal traits as well. ___ [1] Montrose, Shephard, Memorial, Elgin and Richmond.

80 points by codesuela 13y ago

unwind 13y ago

Yesterday's submission: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6013989 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6013989.

codesuela 13y ago
thanks, I hit Ctrl+F Seth but did not find anything in the top or recent submissions

fein 13y ago

This is why we need bike lanes. Also, make sure you wear lights at night guys/gals. You can buy cheap red flashers from the dollar store.

hkmurakami 13y ago
Also reflective clothing.
NIL8 13y ago
Sad news. I don't ride my bike out on the roads because of the danger of being hit. I often marvel at the courage, audacity, and sometimes foolishness of those who are brave enough to ride their bikes on our roads. There needs to be a stronger push to makes this safer. Bike lanes should be in every city in the country. Everyone would be better off if there were bike lanes and bike use was encouraged. I realize that this probably isn't OP's intended point, but it's worth mentioning.
- fein 13y ago
  I ride in the street every day, and violate our "no bikes on the sidewalks" rule constantly for my own safety. Just last week I was almost hit while hogging the lane to make a left into my apartment complex by a car that thought it would be more fun to pass on the left (over the double yellow)... while I was making said left turn. This was in broad daylight; I can only image what would have been the case had it been at night.
recursive 13y ago
The idea that bike lanes always make cycling safer is not universally accepted. Many cyclists believe that, at least in certain circumstances, it's safer to operate in the same lanes as motor vehicles. There are a number of reasons, but a couple of the main ones are increased visibility and reduced lane conflicts in right turns.

hkmurakami 13y ago

Oh man. I was hit by a car from behind while cycling like Seth 2 months ago. The car was travelling at 50mph and if I had been hit straight on (I was hit by the sideview mirror) I could have easily, easily been in Seth's shoes. (I was in the hills and had to be helicoptered to the hospital) I'm not sure how to describe it but I'm sitting here in front of my Linux desktop feeling really really uneasy. I tend to laugh off the accident these days but it's really hitting me that I could have been dead and not be able to write this post.

kliao 13y ago
i'm glad you're ok, haj!

lnanek2 13y ago

Kind of silly he was a programmer and should be logical, but then he rode a bike. It would be great if it was safe to ride around on our roads without a crash cage around you, but it isn't. Cycling is 1% of all trips and 2% of all deaths. If you can afford a car/taxi/shuttle/bus/etc. and value your life, you should not be getting on one.

jonphenow 13y ago
Are you saying that riding a bike is not logical? Minneapolis is pretty bike-safe. Bike lanes, commuter trails. Bicyclists should have helmets, lights and ride carefully at night. I'm not sure how good Durham is, but I don't think this is the time or place to say that its just more logical to pay to get around your city.
- arethuza 13y ago
  Also, if you wanted to be purely logical about it you would have to balance the health benefits of cycling regularly against the risk of accidents.
  - ethomson 13y ago
    By this logic, I certainly shouldn't drive anywhere, instead I would commute by commercial aircraft or heavy rail locomotive.
_neil 13y ago
Maybe his logic favored the fact that bicycles are the most efficient mode of transportation.
elehack 13y ago
There is one thing that anyone can do to help fix this situation. Bicycle. 1, increased numbers of cyclists aid awareness among drivers and others. 2, increased demand helps justify building bike lanes, etc. Yeah, it's a vicious/virtuous circle situation. It's tough until things improve. But accusing those working on the cycling side of folly only makes it worse.

rcavezza 13y ago

Riding a bike is dangerous. Take special precautions. Be aware of your surroundings. Wear bright colors. Wear extra lights if possible. I am too scared to ride a bike in Boston, but I always make sure to check twice before opening my car door after parallel parking. Be safe, bikers of HN.

savszymura 13y ago
>Riding a bike is dangerous Not true. However I agree with all the other safety tips. Cycling is as dangerous as walking (as a pedestrian). Source - http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/cycle-helmets-evidencebrf.pdf http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/cycle-...
- old-gregg 13y ago
  Not in the US: I have not seen a single US city yet with proper bike lanes. At best (and this is rare) you're separated by a solid line which is not enough. But most of the time you're basically on your own. I just looked up the scene of the accident at 1700 Hillandale Road, Durham on Google Street View. If you're on a bike there's nothing for you - you're like a slow engineless motorcycle. This is _very_ dangerous.
  - Jach 13y ago
    Come to Redmond, WA sometime. http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/log/68cddaf2-3fd8-4a67-9468-4c6ec46ba41b.JPG http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/log/68cddaf2-3fd8-4a67... (Of course I drive everywhere, and two of my housemates have been winged. At least it's more likely to be by a Prius than a pickup.)
  - ben336 13y ago
    I'm a Durham resident. The city as a whole does not have great accomodations for bikers on the roads. It has some great bike paths, but in places where that isn't an option you generally are on the road with cars and very little leeway to get out of the way.
  - 13y ago

ned_roberts 13y ago

Just to add more fuel to the bike vs car fire: Did anyone else catch that the driver was driving with a revoked license? [1] Clearly he shouldn't have been operating a vehicle and probably had a history of dangerous driving. But hey, this is America, we gotta drive. [1] http://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-durham-hit-and-run-that-killed-bicyclist/12644209/ http://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-durham-hit-and-run-that-k...

wizzard 13y ago
Good to know the guy turned himself in (apparently). This should be the link of note now.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

gbraad 13y ago

... :-( Condolences to my fellow Fedora community members and those who have worked with him at Red Hat. He will be missed. Thanks Jono Bacon for his message: http://www.jonobacon.org/2013/07/09/remembering-seth-vidal/ http://www.jonobacon.org/2013/07/09/remembering-seth-vidal/

dav 13y ago

Very sad. A close friend of mine was an acquaintance of Seth's. He pointed out this video of Seth talking about biking around Durham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wE3giRsLKso http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wE3gi...

VincentEvans 13y ago

Personally, I find it odd that traffic laws in US actually mandate (!) that bicyclists are to use the roadway and not the sidewalk. Growing up in former USSR, I, along with other kids, used a bike to get around and for pleasure and have always stayed on the sidewalk (I don't think there were any laws about bikes). From experience, I feel there's very little chance of injuring anyone, and even if it does happen - it is likely to be much less frequent and much less serious than what we observe with the bikes sharing the road with the cars. On rare occasions (rural locations) where there was no sidewalk - you'd ride towards oncoming traffic, same as what common sense recommends for pedestrians - so that you can see the cars and can avoid them if situation calls for it. That's probably illegal in US, since it appears that bikes here are somehow deemed more like motor vehicles and not pedestrians. To conclude - I think the status quo is misguided (originally wrote stupid) and dangerous and traffic laws oughtta be changed to put soft squishy humans on two wheels on the sidewalks.

irremediable 13y ago
I used to think as you do concerning the pavement. However, experience cycling[1] has taught me that the pavement is not a safer place to cycle. Cars expect slow-moving pedestrians on the pavement, not fast-moving bicycles. Consequently, cycling on the pavement leads to a lot of collisions with cars as they pull in/out of driveways. [1] In Oxfordshire, UK -- this may be inapplicable to the US.
- VincentEvans 13y ago
  You go as far as to say that riding a bike on a sidewalk is not a safer place for the bicyclist as compared to riding it on a roadway along with cars? I'd expect you to be in a minority in this, your experience must be very different from mine. The way I see it - if my 13 y/o daughter takes a bike to go to convenience store a couple of blocks down the street to get some ice cream with friends - I sure hope she breaks the traffic laws and stays on the sidewalk.
  - mzs 13y ago
    Most places in US children (and adults on bikes accompanying those children) are allowed to ride on sidewalks by law. I do find it safer to ride on the roads though mainly because of dogs, joints, and car's from driveways and making right turns. But the main concern is that on a sidewalk if I were going as fast as on the road I would be a danger to not only myself but other pedestrians.

Patrick_Devine 13y ago

Seth, you'll be missed.

swayvil 13y ago

Hurtling multiton hunks of steel are incompatible with humans and other living things. We shouldn't mix them, but we do.

antitrust 13y ago
Even bike lanes may not be enough. I'd prefer separate roads. That's sort of the approach taken by the green belts in my city, which allow you to bike alternate routes to some major destinations. Unfortunately, it's mixed pedestrian/bike traffic.

antitrust 13y ago

The inevitable biking debate continues. If the US had bike lanes, and bikes didn't choke traffic back to 8 mph as I see them doing every day on major streets, causing a half-mile backup[1], I think the US would be more friendly to bikes. The problem is a sub-set of bike riders who generally are weekenders and seem to take pleasure in holding up traffic because it makes them feel important. Then in retaliation, there's a sub-set of car drivers who become enraged by this and act out typical road rage, except here it's a 2,000 lb vehicle versus a 48-lb vehicle with no external frame. I don't think the solution is any of the following: 1. Car drivers suck 2. Bike riders suck 3. We need bike lanes! I think it's going to require behavioral changes from both car drivers and bike riders, and probably a redesign of cities to be bike-accessible. Back to the topic at hand: Seth's death is tragic and he will be missed. I think a lot of our rage comes from the frustration at losing someone who was such a talented contributor and also a person many of us admired for his personal traits as well. ___ [1] Montrose, Shephard, Memorial, Elgin and Richmond.