BJL wrote:
Maybe the kids can sue the jogger for dangerous jogging and tailgating. Maybe sue the jogger's parents for failing to teach him how to jog properly.
Haha! on reading the "sue the old man's parents". Yes, it is in the spirit of a day like this, (April 1st not Easter), to put the boot on the other foot, as such. Happy Easter BJL!, anyway.
What I gather from reading the report is that the girl riding the bike wrongways on the road beside her friends riding double-file on the 'pavement' (US Eng. sidewalk, Aus. Eng. footpath) was aware of the jogger, and veered back behind her associates, (which is clear indication for the 'entity' behind to pass), and then before he had passed them, she turned to see him behind her, and then wrongly assumed that he was happy to not pass them, and so she then veered back out onto the road to ride three-wide with her associates, just as he was infact making the passing maneouvre. Ouch!
It would need a video tape of the collision to be sure. I also think that it is safer to take good heed of unpredictable things like 10yo children and be ready for surprises. In addition, like you mention, I have learned since starting riding again six months ago that on the bike paths (PSPs?), when there are pedestrians ahead, (a bit like kids on little bikes when jogging), it pays to call out "Good morning!" or perhaps honk my horns from a polite distance away, to let them be aware of another 'entity' sharing the path on the way through, and keep left (downunder). Unsupervised kids should know this road rule and apply it to every path including staircases in public buildings. It seems by her testimony that she knew he was there, she moved out the way so that he had room to pass, and then veered back into his line again.
Unfortunate, especially someone seemingly so inexperienced. I would think that lack of parental supervision of the unqualified cyclist was the cause. Remember that she moved out the way, and then moved back into the way again.