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Thread: Messenger Struck In Road Rage Hit and Run Incident

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    Bike Coalition is offline Junior Member
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    Default Messenger Struck In Road Rage Hit and Run Incident

    According to the Philadelphia Bicycle Messengers Association (PBMA) messenger Rachel Fletcher was hit by an irate driver in a silver hatchback on Wednesday Morning at 2:30 AM after leaving from her second job. The driver yelled at her to get off the road and then intentionally struck her bike before leaving the scene. Fellow couriers arrived at Hahnemann Hospital and called Police. The officer arrived to take the report and apparently conveyed less empathy than the messengers thought warranted and told them this was an "accident" and would be treated as such. Some of them went to the crash scene and reportedly found blood and other evidence.

    Rachel suffered a broken jaw and was undergoing surgery on Friday. PBMA plans to stage a demonstration at 5:30 PM Monday at Love Park.

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    ShoshTrvls's Avatar
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    Sorry to hear this; were there any witnesses, particularly to the part about the driver yelling at the messenger?

    BTW, any reason you don't post articles that involve, say, bicyclists killing pedestrians and leaving the scene? And don't organize similar vigils for them?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ShoshTrvls View Post
    Sorry to hear this; were there any witnesses, particularly to the part about the driver yelling at the messenger?

    BTW, any reason you don't post articles that involve, say, bicyclists killing pedestrians and leaving the scene? And don't organize similar vigils for them?
    The pedestrian - cyclist accidents were very upsetting to the community as well. Perhaps you're not aware of the efforts the Bicycle Coalition are putting forth through their Bicycle Ambassador program to teach clueless and/or scofflaw cyclists the rules of the road.

    But a deliberate assault on a cyclist using a motor vehicle as a weapon is another thing entirely. I was once deliberately rear-ended by an irate elderly woman who wanted me out of the way so she could make a right turn on red. It's not an experience I'll forget in a hurry. I was fortunate not to have been knocked down or injured. I had several witnesses, including a carriage driver with the presence of mind to write down the license number, but the police officer I flagged down wouldn't even write up a report.
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    Glenn Quagmire is offline Senior Member
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    What are you going to protest, maybe I missed the chance to protest bike messengers when one killed the lawyer. Give me a break, this will waste more tax payers money when civil affairs are called. Go have a Pabst, get more bad tattoos and stay out of the way

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    Default Philadelphia: The City of Fleeing the Scene

    Quote Originally Posted by lbphilly View Post
    The pedestrian - cyclist accidents were very upsetting to the community as well. Perhaps you're not aware of the efforts the Bicycle Coalition are putting forth through their Bicycle Ambassador program to teach clueless and/or scofflaw cyclists the rules of the road.

    But a deliberate assault on a cyclist using a motor vehicle as a weapon is another thing entirely. I was once deliberately rear-ended by an irate elderly woman who wanted me out of the way so she could make a right turn on red. It's not an experience I'll forget in a hurry. I was fortunate not to have been knocked down or injured. I had several witnesses, including a carriage driver with the presence of mind to write down the license number, but the police officer I flagged down wouldn't even write up a report.
    I was hit by a car while on my bicycle on Spruce Street about a year ago, commuting home from work. This was before the present bike lanes were installed. The driver fled the scene. I am not a bike messenger, but I WILL be at Love Park on Monday.

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    Mr Morley's Avatar
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    Oh goodie. The foundation for yet another bike-hate thread has been laid.

    Have fun, kids.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ShoshTrvls View Post
    Sorry to hear this
    Yea......me too LOL
    Forget it Jake.....it's MARKET EAST
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    supersupper is offline Appetizer
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    Quote Originally Posted by bryson662001 View Post
    Yea......me too LOL
    And the child responds.
    SooooooooooooooooPER

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    Quote Originally Posted by lbphilly View Post
    The pedestrian - cyclist accidents were very upsetting to the community as well. Perhaps you're not aware of the efforts the Bicycle Coalition are putting forth through their Bicycle Ambassador program to teach clueless and/or scofflaw cyclists the rules of the road.
    That's good to know, but the Bicycle Coalition was nowhere to be found in any public response when the paralegal was killed and the bicyclist fled the scene. They did not organize a vigil for him, nor did they condemn the rider's actions publicly (e.g. on this forum). I do hope the messenger who was hit fully recovers.
    Remember, no matter where you go, there you are. -- B. Banzai

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    cewillm is offline Senior Member
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    Why was the messenger doing a job at 2:30 AM? I could imagine there might be some late-night legal offices in town but it still seems pretty odd.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cewillm View Post
    Why was the messenger doing a job at 2:30 AM? I could imagine there might be some late-night legal offices in town but it still seems pretty odd.
    Leaving their second (non-messenger) job, which you'd know if you'd read the first post in the thread.

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    cewillm is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Morley View Post
    Leaving their second (non-messenger) job, which you'd know if you'd read the first post in the thread.
    I think the OP should edit the post then. If it's an off the job accident what does being a messenger have to do with it? The writing right now makes it sound like the accident occurred after the messenger's second job (run) of the night.

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    sampsonite is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeckyJ View Post
    That's good to know, but the Bicycle Coalition was nowhere to be found in any public response when the paralegal was killed and the bicyclist fled the scene. They did not organize a vigil for him, nor did they condemn the rider's actions publicly (e.g. on this forum). I do hope the messenger who was hit fully recovers.
    what r u talking about
    there are bills politicians that trying to pass because of that accident
    and yes there were a few posts on this forum about that incident

    and the thing that makes it different is that this was done out of rage and the driver intended to hit the girl and injure her on purpose

    what if she smashed her head opened and died...or the driver ran her over
    it's still a hit and run and the cops just shrugged it off as and accident
    even after an accident your not supposed to just drive away

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    Quote Originally Posted by cewillm View Post
    I think the OP should edit the post then. If it's an off the job accident what does being a messenger have to do with it? The writing right now makes it sound like the accident occurred after the messenger's second job (run) of the night.
    Was was relevant to knowing the pedestrian who was killed was a paralegal?

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    Not New is offline Banned
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    where did it happen? who was driving the silver hatchback? apparently they exchanged words. Leaving a job at 2:30 AM, seems to mean she was working at a bar, was she intoxicated? How about posting a few facts?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Glenn Quagmire View Post
    What are you going to protest, maybe I missed the chance to protest bike messengers when one killed the lawyer. Give me a break, this will waste more tax payers money when civil affairs are called. Go have a Pabst, get more bad tattoos and stay out of the way
    go **** yourself!

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    Quote Originally Posted by bryson662001 View Post
    Yea......me too LOL
    you too!

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    Quote Originally Posted by cewillm View Post
    I think the OP should edit the post then. If it's an off the job accident what does being a messenger have to do with it? The writing right now makes it sound like the accident occurred after the messenger's second job (run) of the night.
    The fact that it was a bike messenger is a clue that she is probably from the most offensive group of bike riders. Lepords don't change their spots. Of course that isn't a justification but it makes it more understandable. I don't condone drivers who loose control of themselves but I can still sympathize with them. I do not believe these are just random and unprevoked attacks on bike riders for the thrill of it.
    Forget it Jake.....it's MARKET EAST
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    sampsonite is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not New View Post
    where did it happen? who was driving the silver hatchback? apparently they exchanged words. Leaving a job at 2:30 AM, seems to mean she was working at a bar, was she intoxicated? How about posting a few facts?
    it could possibly be that the driver was also intoxicated and went on a rage because of his drunken state and didnt stick around because he was under the influence and he hit a person...

    Quote Originally Posted by bryson662001 View Post
    The fact that it was a bike messenger is a clue that she is probably from the most offensive group of bike riders. Lepords don't change their spots. Of course that isn't a justification but it makes it more understandable. I don't condone drivers who loose control of themselves but I can still sympathize with them. I do not believe these are just random and unprevoked attacks on bike riders for the thrill of it.
    it could be possible that the biker did provoke the driver or the driver was just in a bad mood..either way
    even so it does not justify or make it understandable if a person uses their car as a weapon to hurt another person over some petty argument with a few exchange of words
    its like a person walking around with a baseball bat and smacking people in the face with it if the person didnt like they way they were looking at them

    anyways what about all the people who say "I'm gonna run over all you bikers in my truck" type people i think if they would and it was 2:30am so who would witness them..especially if they were intoxicated

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    Bike Coalition is offline Junior Member
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    Some fact checking here -
    1 - We have had lots to say about pedestrians being killed by bicyclists. It's tragic and preventable but it's also rare, especially when compared to pedestrians killed by motor vehicle (more the 90 in the past 3 years). Philadelphia Bicycle News

    2 - The Phila. Bike Messenger Assn. is holding the demonstration in Love Park not the Bike Coalition. The are angry that the Police did not treat the crash as a hit and run vehicular assault. There is a common saying "If you are going to kill someone, do it in a car"

    3 - Having a big bag and a fixed gear bike doesn't make you a messenger. There are only 60 messengers in a city where 300,000 people ride a bicycle.

    4 - The Bicycle Coalition's position is to kill the Kenney and DiCicco Bills but we also favor equitable and consistent enforcement for all road users. Our position is here - Philadelphia Bicycle News: Bicycle Coalition Opposes Proposed Bike Regulations
    Last edited by Bike Coalition; 11-29-2009 at 11:31 AM. Reason: typo

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