Salinas cyclist intentionally doored

Salinas Hit & Run

Here’s a curious case. I saw this dispatch from Davis Road at Post Drive in Salinas, California.

Location: N Davis Rd / Post Dr, MONTEREY COUNTY – Feb 2 2015 3:59AM
20002-Hit and Run No Injuries
— Feb 2 2015 4:00AM VEH VS BICYCLIST
— Feb 2 2015 4:03AM TRUCK DROVE INTO BICYCLIST LANE AND OPENED DOOR TO HIT RIDER

What? Does that really say what I think it says?

Mari Lynch in Monterey contacted the CHP office there and confirmed the report that a driver apparently doored a cyclist on purpose from a moving truck.

The 21-year-old female cyclist, a resident of Salinas, was riding north in the southbound bike lane (i.e. against traffic) at about 4 AM on a mostly empty Davis Road. The driver of a white Chevy pickup truck traveling the same direction on the other side of this four-lane divided road veered across his lanes, bounced over the concrete median into the opposite lanes, where the sweetheart in control of his white Chevy then opened his door while driving his truck to hit the woman on the bike.

War on cars, indeed. The coward then continued north, no doubt laughing with his friends as he bragged about his manly achievements.

The cyclist was knocked off of the road. She and her bike are fine, but the assault stings nonetheless.

Monterey area CHP are investigating but the only information they have to go on is “white Chevy pickup truck.” Maybe one of the driver’s buddies was with him or heard him bragging about it. If so, you can call the Monterey CHP office at (831) 796-2100.

Thank you to Mari Lynch. She runs an outstanding resource for all things Monterey County cycling here.

4 Comments

  1. As an aside… I have a helmet mounted headlight that many have asked (and therefore thought) was a camera… and I have noticed that I get ALOT more room and “regard” on the incredibly cyclist hostile streets of Redding, CA.

    Still working on my mobile vaporizor beam, but it has made an obvious difference… and it looks nothing like a gopro… especially when it flashes.

    Consider a helmet mounted faux disabler until you get the bugs worked out.

  2. And that MO of a white pickup crossing a median to assault a cyclist is unnervingly similar to the guy that tried to kill me back in 2001, but that driver is known to be dead. Still brought up bad memories though.

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