Isaak Kornelsen
Isaak Kornelsen
Monday, August 27, 2012
Age: 21
Location:
102 St and Whyte Ave
Mid-block
Edmonton , AB T6E 3X8
Canada
From the Edmonton Journal:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/story_print.html?id=7150803
EDMONTON - An Edmonton cyclist clipped the side mirror of a parked pickup on Whyte Avenue, lost control and was crushed under the rear wheels of a passing cement truck on Monday.
“He was killed instantly,” said Acting Insp. Erik Johnson, who described the accident as one of the worst he has seen in 16 years with the police service.
“There was a full load of cement in that truck,” Johnson said “The cement truck driver had no idea he had even run over a cyclist. Some witnesses had to flag him down and tell him to stop.
“My condolences go out to the family.”
The 21-year-old Edmonton man was hit at about 10:30 a.m. while biking west on Whyte Avenue between 99th Street and Gateway Boulevard near the Mac’s Convenience Store and Flirt Cupcakes.
Police did not release the victim’s name, but friends on social media identified him as Isaak Kornelsen, a member of the University of Alberta track and field team and Faculty of Arts student at the school.
Nick Eaton, 20, said Kornelsen was a runner long before the pair became friends in the seventh grade.
“He was so incredibly smart and talented at everything,” said Eaton. “Everybody loved him.”
Several people saw the accident happen, and hurried over to help.
“But there was nothing to do,” said Steven Townsend, who was working across the street.
The driver of the cement truck was being treated for shock.
He looked “just devastated,” said Townsend. “He was sitting on the back of the (cement) truck just in tears.”
In that block on Whyte Avenue there are two lanes of traffic in each direction, plus a lane for the parked cars. Traffic officers were measuring how far the pickup truck was parked from the curb, which appeared to be more than a foot. Johnson said charges are possible against the driver of the pickup, who sat watching the officers work.
Under a city bylaw, vehicles must park no farther than 50 centimetres (19.68 inches) from the curb.
“It sounds like this collision was a result of everyone just pushing the boundaries of what’s safe,” said Coun. Ben Henderson, who has been working on Edmonton’s bike plans.
It’s illegal for cyclists to be on the sidewalk. But when they ride on the road, many cyclists hug too close to the parked cars, putting themselves in danger, Henderson said. They should be taking that first driving lane, which is what the city’s new “sharrows” or shared-use lanes indicate on the roads where they’ve been installed.
There are no shared-use markers on Whyte Avenue, because city plans call for a yet-to-be constructed bike boulevard one block north on 83rd Avenue instead.
Henderson said the city needs to rethink that plan and probably create a separate bike lane on Whyte Avenue instead, because that’s the most direct route and the one cyclists will be taking anyway.
“We need to think a little more boldly about this. If you really create good infrastructure where everyone feels safe and is safe using it — and if it gets people where they want to go — then you will get huge usership,” he said. “You don’t want to push the bikes off Whyte. You can’t make the bikes a second-class citizen.”
Tyler Golly, a supervisor in transportation planning, said the bike boulevard was planned for 83rd Avenue because Whyte Avenue is an important east-west connector for vehicle traffic and doesn’t have space for a bike lane. The 83rd Avenue bike boulevard is planned for 2014 or 2015, and could include a series of small traffic circles to help cyclists proceed safely without stopping.
The Edmonton Bike Commuters installed a white-painted ghost bike at the scene of the accident Monday afternoon. One of their members was near the accident when it happened, and helped paint the bike Monday morning.
Chris Chan, executive director of the bike commuters, worried the victim may have felt squeezed by the passing cement truck, which made him move over too close to the parked cars.
Even when the city paints shared-use lanes, cyclists can feel intimidated. They aren’t confident enough to take the lane and ride where the “sharrow” indicates, Chan said.
“It would be incredible to get a separate bike lane on Whyte Avenue,” said Chan. “It would make the street life so much more pleasant for the pedestrians, too.”
With files from Mariam Ibrahim
Monday, August 27, 2012
Age: 21
Location:
102 St and Whyte Ave
Mid-block
Edmonton , AB T6E 3X8
Canada
From the Edmonton Journal:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/story_print.html?id=7150803
EDMONTON - An Edmonton cyclist clipped the side mirror of a parked pickup on Whyte Avenue, lost control and was crushed under the rear wheels of a passing cement truck on Monday.
“He was killed instantly,” said Acting Insp. Erik Johnson, who described the accident as one of the worst he has seen in 16 years with the police service.
“There was a full load of cement in that truck,” Johnson said “The cement truck driver had no idea he had even run over a cyclist. Some witnesses had to flag him down and tell him to stop.
“My condolences go out to the family.”
The 21-year-old Edmonton man was hit at about 10:30 a.m. while biking west on Whyte Avenue between 99th Street and Gateway Boulevard near the Mac’s Convenience Store and Flirt Cupcakes.
Police did not release the victim’s name, but friends on social media identified him as Isaak Kornelsen, a member of the University of Alberta track and field team and Faculty of Arts student at the school.
Nick Eaton, 20, said Kornelsen was a runner long before the pair became friends in the seventh grade.
“He was so incredibly smart and talented at everything,” said Eaton. “Everybody loved him.”
Several people saw the accident happen, and hurried over to help.
“But there was nothing to do,” said Steven Townsend, who was working across the street.
The driver of the cement truck was being treated for shock.
He looked “just devastated,” said Townsend. “He was sitting on the back of the (cement) truck just in tears.”
In that block on Whyte Avenue there are two lanes of traffic in each direction, plus a lane for the parked cars. Traffic officers were measuring how far the pickup truck was parked from the curb, which appeared to be more than a foot. Johnson said charges are possible against the driver of the pickup, who sat watching the officers work.
Under a city bylaw, vehicles must park no farther than 50 centimetres (19.68 inches) from the curb.
“It sounds like this collision was a result of everyone just pushing the boundaries of what’s safe,” said Coun. Ben Henderson, who has been working on Edmonton’s bike plans.
It’s illegal for cyclists to be on the sidewalk. But when they ride on the road, many cyclists hug too close to the parked cars, putting themselves in danger, Henderson said. They should be taking that first driving lane, which is what the city’s new “sharrows” or shared-use lanes indicate on the roads where they’ve been installed.
There are no shared-use markers on Whyte Avenue, because city plans call for a yet-to-be constructed bike boulevard one block north on 83rd Avenue instead.
Henderson said the city needs to rethink that plan and probably create a separate bike lane on Whyte Avenue instead, because that’s the most direct route and the one cyclists will be taking anyway.
“We need to think a little more boldly about this. If you really create good infrastructure where everyone feels safe and is safe using it — and if it gets people where they want to go — then you will get huge usership,” he said. “You don’t want to push the bikes off Whyte. You can’t make the bikes a second-class citizen.”
Tyler Golly, a supervisor in transportation planning, said the bike boulevard was planned for 83rd Avenue because Whyte Avenue is an important east-west connector for vehicle traffic and doesn’t have space for a bike lane. The 83rd Avenue bike boulevard is planned for 2014 or 2015, and could include a series of small traffic circles to help cyclists proceed safely without stopping.
The Edmonton Bike Commuters installed a white-painted ghost bike at the scene of the accident Monday afternoon. One of their members was near the accident when it happened, and helped paint the bike Monday morning.
Chris Chan, executive director of the bike commuters, worried the victim may have felt squeezed by the passing cement truck, which made him move over too close to the parked cars.
Even when the city paints shared-use lanes, cyclists can feel intimidated. They aren’t confident enough to take the lane and ride where the “sharrow” indicates, Chan said.
“It would be incredible to get a separate bike lane on Whyte Avenue,” said Chan. “It would make the street life so much more pleasant for the pedestrians, too.”
With files from Mariam Ibrahim