Feedback

Baltimore bicyclist’s family sues Potts & Callahan for fatal Maryland Avenue hit-and-run accident

March 4, 2010 at 9:06 am 9

  • Story Link
  • 9

Categories

Memorial "ghost bike" for Baltimore cyclist John R. Yates. (Photo by Fern Shen)

New details of the hit-and-run accident that killed a Baltimore bicyclist last summer on Maryland Avenue have emerged, with news that the family of John R. Yates has sued the alleged driver and his employer, Potts & Callahan Inc.

The lawyer for Potts & Callahan told The Daily Record there’s no evidence that one of the company’s trucks hit Yates and that police tests of blood and hair on the bottom of the Potts & Callahan truck came back “inconclusive.”

But Yates’ family contends, in the $5 million lawsuit filed yesterday in Baltimore City Circuit Court, that a video captured by a nearby security camera shows one of the company’s trucks turning right onto Lafayette Avenue and failing to signal, just before the collision.

  • O2

    What? If it wasn’t Yates’ blood and hair on the bottom of their truck, then whose was it? The other cyclist that they ran over earlier that day?

  • Lee

    what’s the defendants’ alibi for the blood and hair, they ran over someone else?

  • Karwasei

    I hope they get the pants sued off of them, though I feel the actual individual who hit the cyclists should pay. Heck, that person should be JAILED for a hit and run. Cowardice and evil, if you ask me.
    I hope the family wins!

  • http://none nutschester

    IT IS VERY OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE CYCLIST DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE ROAD.WHEN YOU ARE ON A BIKE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AS A MOTORIST, THAT REQUIRES THE CORRECT SIGNALS AND RESPONSE TIME AS ANYONE ELSE.NUMBER ONE IN BIKE LESSONS, DO NOT STOP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF ANY VEHICLE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THEIR BLIND SPOT, IF THE VEHICLE PASSES YOU IT WILL BE TO YOUR LEFT.I TRAVEL THAT ROAD EVERYDAY AND THE CYCLIST HAVE NO CONCERN WHAT SO EVER FOR OTHERS.THEY THINK THEY OWN THE ROAD.AS TO THE HIT AND RUN, YOU HAVE A TRUCK THAT WEIGHS AN ESTIMATED 42,000 LBS. AND CYCLIST THAT WEIGHS MAYBE 300 LBS.PLUS BIKE. LET’S DO THE MATH.FEELS LIKE A POT HOLE.ALSO IF HE WAS IN THE POSITION HE WAS IN WHY WAS HE SO CLOSE TO THE TRUCK AND ALSO WHEN YOU ARE THAT CLOSE TO ONE YOU CANNNOT SEE THE BLINKERSW.

  • http://NONE NUTCHESTER

    I WILL SAY THE SAME THING AGAIN. THE CYCLIST WAS IN THE WRONG. YOU DON’T NEED TO TAKE MY OPINION OFF OF THE COMMENT PAGE. WHEN ON THAT ROAD THE CYCLIST ACT AS IF THEY OWN IT. I AM NOT APOLIZING FOR WHAT HAPPENED. CYCLIST NEED TO BE AS PREPARED AND FULLY INFORMED AS A MORTORIST.

  • steve

    What a tragic event. Unfortunately it seems from all accounts that this experienced rider did not follow the law and proper safety procedures. I feel for the family but this looks like a prettty clear cut case of rider error. Never pass on the right! Even if it wasn’t illegal it is still exercising poor judgement. I will agree with Nutchester that too many cyclist do nt follow the law by weaving through traffic and ignoring traffic lights/signs. I hope this tragic event will be a wake up call for all cyclist to be more vigilant and observant in their riding.

  • steve

    Oh, forgot to ask this in last comment. Has anyone been charged with a crime in this incident? Tough to prevail in civil case if there are no criminal charges Unless you work the sympathy angle.

  • Larry

    It’s compleatly obvious the cyclist was in the wrong.If He didn’t see this alleged truck. He wasn’t paying attention. He ran into this huge trunk and was run over. If you can’t see this, shame on you. It’s unfortunant for the cyclist but He is compleatly at fault. The driver was looking forward when He was making a right turn. Not only Did He not see the cyclist but Didn’t feel the accident.Like another persons reply.” It was like running thru at pothole. This should be thrown out of court.

  • Baltimorebicyclist

    Baltimore City is pretty horrible with their cyclist-friendly policies.

    http://baltimorebicyclist.blogspot.com/

The Daily Drip

  • February 6, 2012

    • People involved in the Mount Royal Avenue bike lane issue have asked for the full text of the statements issued by Maryland Institute College of Art and the Baltimore Department of Transportation so here’s a link to a page where we’ve pasted up both. In addition, MICA has put Lazarus’ statement up on its website [...]

  • February 3, 2012

  • February 1, 2012

    • Transportation officials don’t like it, but Hampden residents are apparently fed up – they want cross-walks repainted on The Avenue and if the city’s not going to maintain the crosswalks on this busy north Baltimore street, they’re doing it themselves. Deborah Patterson, a former OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow who runs ArtBlocks, is one of the ringleaders. [...]

  • January 31, 2012

  • January 30, 2012

    • RG Steel told Maryland environmental officials today that the weekend fire that lit up the skies around Sparrows Point was caused by the disposal of hot metal from the mill’s blast furnace. “We were told that conditions relating to the idling and subsequent restart of the blast furnace led to the need to dispose of [...]

More of the Daily Drip »

Below the Fold

  • January 27, 2012

    • Catching up on a slew of interesting things to do and read this weekend that we almost lost track of in the Kickstarter hub-bub. Here are just a few: SATURDAY (1/28/12) New Mercury Non-fiction Reading – Check out tell-it-like-it-is education blogger Edit Barry (see below) and a pack of other feisty non-fictional characters from the [...]

Twitter

Facebook