Two cyclists knocked down on Wierda road by Porsche

[Joe Low]

Jeez every week on the Hub there is a new topic with some poor cyclists bust up or slaughtered by vehicles on the road?

What's up with this?

There are 40 road deaths in this country every day. Some of them are going to be cyclists. It goes at about 3 per week from memory.

[The Lost Son]

Was only sent the link to this site now - my father-in-law, Piet Van Der Westhuizen, was one of the cyclists knocked down by a driver of the porsche Cayenne yesterday morning at approximately 09:00 on Weirda Road between the R55 and the R101 - he sustained major injuries and died on the scene. To all who knew him and loved him, I'm so sorry for the horrible news.

 

To those who may think this was somehow the cyclists fault, an eye witness account placed Piet and his riding partner within the correct side of the yellow lane as well as stating that the Porsche Cayenne was speeding at a very fast speed, some of the witnesses estimate at 160 kph, and judging from his wounds, the speed of the car must have been excessive - lets hope and pray the Weirda Bridge Police station does their job properly and justice is brought upon the wreckless driver of the Porsche - he has broken more hearts thatn he will ever know.

 

The family is distraught. Thank you all for your comments of care and thoughtfulness towards my father-in-law. "Revenge is mine says the Lord", is the only thing keeping me going...

[Willehond]

My sincere condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this tragic time.

[TNT1]

 

 

I spent some time in Europe, and the situation is way different. One one of my first road rides in Germany, I got out of the bike lane and onto the road because of too many slow movers in the bike lane. It was busy, and soon I heard the first car approach from behind. I rode as far to the side of the road like I would in SA, and waited for him to pass. After a while, I looked back to see if he had turned off. To my surprize, he was still there, patiently doing 30 km/h at a nice following distance, with 3 more cars behind him, even though he would have been able to squeeze past. He passed me a bit later when he could pass into the oncoming lane. He treated me as if I was another car. No hooting, middle fingers etc. even thought there was a bike lane next to the road as well. I later saw that this was the norm.

 

Sadly, I don't think SA will ever get there.

 

Yeah, in SA the motorists don't even treat other cars with that kind of respect. Come to think of, they don't even have the self respect to stick to a speed limit or stop at a stop sign even when there are no other road users near them.

[Willehond]

Yeah, in SA the motorists don't even treat other cars with that kind of respect. Come to think of, they don't even have the self respect to stick to a speed limit or stop at a stop sign even when there are no other road users near them.

 

Very true. My trip back to SA in March made me realize I turnn into an angry motorist the moment I venture on to the SA roads. I don't know what it is, but I got hooted at, flashed and passed on the left-hand side and that was just on the drive from the airport! It's almost as though you have to defend your position on the road just to drive from point A to B. It's a general attitude and I have no idea how it can be fixed.

 

The other thing that got me was how vulnerable I felt riding on the open roads in the middle of the Karoo. Cars and trucks scream past you on your little plastic bike. Very unnerving. Good luck and keep spreading the good vibes. If everyone relaxes just a little bit it might just rub off on others. Remember; just smile and wave

[quinton]

Was only sent the link to this site now - my father-in-law, Piet Van Der Westhuizen, was one of the cyclists knocked down by a driver of the porsche Cayenne yesterday morning at approximately 09:00 on Weirda Road between the R55 and the R101 - he sustained major injuries and died on the scene. To all who knew him and loved him, I'm so sorry for the horrible news.

 

To those who may think this was somehow the cyclists fault, an eye witness account placed Piet and his riding partner within the correct side of the yellow lane as well as stating that the Porsche Cayenne was speeding at a very fast speed, some of the witnesses estimate at 160 kph, and judging from his wounds, the speed of the car must have been excessive - lets hope and pray the Weirda Bridge Police station does their job properly and justice is brought upon the wreckless driver of the Porsche - he has broken more hearts thatn he will ever know.

 

The family is distraught. Thank you all for your comments of care and thoughtfulness towards my father-in-law. "Revenge is mine says the Lord", is the only thing keeping me going...

 

R.I.P Piet Van Der Westhuizen, How is his riding partner doing? I hope that he is recovering.

[kosmonooit]

Sincere condolences there, the roads here are so dangerous for cyclists! Even driving, one dices with death on every journey, and its getting worse imho.

 

So many times I have been lucky, escaped certain death on the roads. Please all rider with a 360 deg sense of awareness, and expected the unexpected. Never take it for granted that a motorist has seen you or that they will give you right of way.

 

Its the one that you don't see that will get you.

Edited May 3, 2011 by kosmonooit

[paulvs]

My sincere condolences.

[intern]

Very sad to read this; RIP Piet.

What Christie says is absolutely correct. SA is a lawless society, by and large. There is no external locus of control; everyone gets to decide what the law means to them as an individual. That is not how it works in civilised places; the law applies evenly and is not determined by the individual in the moment. This is not the fault of the individual, but that of the society in which the individual finds him- or herself.

[intern]

These were not gung-ho laaities, but old toppies from an era where the rule of law once did apply. Seriously doubt they were misbehaving on the road.

 

http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Vriend-sterf-want-hy-was-agter-se-fietsryer-prof-20110503

Edited May 4, 2011 by intern

[paulvs]

With you on this one Paul,I will be there. That Wierdaroad is bad news with racing traffic in fancy cars making there way towards Sutherland Rigde . I was in a very bad motorcar accident there myself 5 years ago...........also a speeding motorist. Culprit just got on a aircraft and fled the back to his home country-India,nice hey ?

 

 

Thanks bud! But two people for support will not help.

 

Interesting that cyclingsa don't have anything to say about this.

[TNT1]

These were not gung-ho laaities, but old toppies from an era where the rule of law once did apply. Seriously doubt they were misbehaving on the road.

 

http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Vriend-sterf-want-hy-was-agter-se-fietsryer-prof-20110503

 

Dude, being in the land of the long white cloud has made you lose touch with reality a tad. The older generation, who should know better, who were raised and taught under a law abiding system, are some of the worst abusers of the law on our south african roads.

[Big H*]

Dude, being in the land of the long white cloud has made you lose touch with reality a tad. The older generation, who should know better, who were raised and taught under a law abiding system, are some of the worst abusers of the law on our south african roads.

 

The only "long white cloud" I see here are from the dope you are smoking. They may have been on a cycling unfriendly stretch of road, but they were cycling behind each other and it was a case of hit and run.

 

From Beeld:-

 

"Me. Louise Brits, woordvoerder van die Tshwane-metropolisie, het gesê ’n ooggetuie het gesien dat ’n voertuig wat agter die

Porsche gery het, dit na die ongelukstoneel teruggedwing het."

[TNT1]

This is not the fault of the individual, but that of the society in which the individual finds him- or herself.

 

Bollocks. You can have integrity as a human bean in any society.

[Lou Zealand]

Everyone whines about the taxis and generally, they are a law unto themselves, but as a commuter, I have found them to be far more tolerant and polite to me as a cyclist than anyone else on the road. (I actually see a poll here.)

 

 

Quite agree with you here. Found it too.

 

+1

[Lou Zealand]

There are 40 road deaths in this country every day. Some of them are going to be cyclists. It goes at about 3 per week from memory.

Find this astonishing if true. I mean 40... per day! Where are these stats sourced from?

 

Going to give me nightmares (or another excuse to shirk the early morning coffee rides in winter )