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Seattle cyclist hit by car lands on his feet - literally (+ video)

Acrobatic dismount gets rider out of harm's way as driver jumps red light...

A cyclist in Seattle, Washington, had a narrow escape when he was hit by a car as he rode across a pedestrian crossing, quite literally landing on his feet after acrobatically leaping out of the saddle.

Jeff Word was riding across Valley St at the junction of Terry Avenue North and South Lake Union Park on May 18 when a motorist drove through a red light – the pedestrian crossing light was switched to green – although luckily she was alert to the situation and braked as she saw him coming across the road.

The incident was captured on film by fellow cyclist David Behroozi, who has uploaded the footage to the video-sharing site, YouTube.

Word, who used his right leg to kick off the car bonnet to launch his sudden and spectacular dismount, was unhurt, but the same can’t be said for his bike, a Fuji Roubaix – although the motorist will be paying for the damage.

In an email to Seattle Bike Blog, Word said: ““I’m doing good. I was so happy that nothing happened I was pretty much laughing afterwards. I’m a chiropractor, too, so I get adjustments all the time.”

Behroozi said that glare from the evening sunshine may have been a factor in the incident: “The sun was to the west and was fairly bright but the woman in the car has her visor down and the visor shadow is across her face.”

Seattle Bike Blog said that better detours for non-motorised traffic were needed around the area, which is subject to construction works that will continue for several years.
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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22 comments

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PJ McNally | 13 years ago
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Ok, i want a camera. That is the best crash video I've seen (no-one hurt, hooray).

Whatever I might think about Chiropractic (we have a "college" teaching it in Oxfordshire), that guy has mad acrobatic skills.

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spen | 13 years ago
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Don't see the relevance - couldn't happen over here as only cyclists jump red lights in Britain  3

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hairyairey | 13 years ago
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This shows that Seattle drivers are no better than drivers here in Peterborough. We have a wide pedestrian crossing that drivers insist on driving through even when the "green man" has come on. That is, they drive onto it and stop on it then keep moving. One day someone is going to be seriously injured or even killed.

As for the comment that he wasn't on the crossing when he was hit that's right he was going around someone who was going over the crossing. So the driver had an even clearer view.

It just makes you wonder why these drivers would attempt to run a red light where there's a pedestrian crossing.

I must buy a helmet-cam soon!

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a.jumper | 13 years ago
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I was going to say that it's clearly a fake because all daily mail readers know only cyclists jump red lights, but satire has been killed by some commenters above. For crying out loud! How can you blame the cyclist much for that one? For example, shiny flu should read the bike blog, where it patiently explains that most Seattle crossings are effectively toucans.

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Shiny Flu | 13 years ago
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I'm glad that nothing bad happened here but to be honest, it is a cross-WALK. I know it's annoying, but there's a reason why for most places it says that one should walk across not ride. Especially with the sun like that.

Still glad that everyone involved is ok.

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WolfieSmith | 13 years ago
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Sobering to see how far the cyclist travels off the impact at what - a combined speed of maybe 20mph between foot and car? No wonder so many cyclists are dying from collisions with cars - especially in 30mph zones where 40 is the new 30.

Awkward truths:

If people don't windfarms or nuclear - use less electricity

If as drivers and cyclists we want to survive bike rides the speed limit for urban areas we should all have to stomach is 20mph.

Not ideal but better than what we have now - a country where adult cyclists ride the pavements and people on phones travel suburban streets in all terrain vehicles.

Am I the only one who remembers a time when it wasn't this way?

Crazy times.

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Giant Rob | 13 years ago
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That guy was lucky. He should get a lottery ticket and hope his luck continues. Always look both ways when crossing the road!

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Coleman | 13 years ago
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Hmm, I'm all for cyclists sticking together but Carbon Chav's comment does seems a little odd. Car runs a red and crashes into a cyclist. Fortunately no one is badly hurt and the incident was caught on camera. The cyclist waited for the lights to change. Do you subscribe to the Mail, Kev?

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carl j | 13 years ago
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car going too fast, cyclist not actually on the crossing. Not that the driver was paying much attention, but what there was would have been focussed on the crossing. A bit iffy for both parties imo. Not a fake though.

Oh, and I wish I had reactions like that.

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SideBurn | 13 years ago
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Cannot comment on Karbon Kev's other posts. But 'an idiot'? A bit harsh... One of my favorite quotes is, 'a cynic is only a frustrated optimist'. Do not know who to attribute it to! Lets keep it friendly!

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TheRealYeti | 13 years ago
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Ok, perhaps the car was going a bit fast and should have been taking a bit more care, but really the cyclist should have been more aware of the traffic around him.

Cutting across traffic like that, even if it was on a green light needs a element of caution, but from what I can see he didn't look right when passing through the cars.

I think we all know it's a dangerous place out there and too many cyclists don't take enough responsibility for their own safety.

Sermon over...  4

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Chuck replied to TheRealYeti | 13 years ago
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TheRealYeti wrote:

Ok, perhaps the car was going a bit fast and should have been taking a bit more care

According to the article the driver ran a red light and hit him. I'd say she should have been taking a LOT more care.

But you're right that it's always wise to keep an eye on what they're doing.

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farrell | 13 years ago
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Found by searching for David Behroozi

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farrell | 13 years ago
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Whats the title on youtube for this clip? I cant view it at work and cant access it via my phone on the embedded link.

Or a direct link may work?

Cheers in advance.

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kaybee | 13 years ago
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Just because it's on the Internet doesn't mean it's fake.

That cyclist isn't paranoid enough, I always look both ways even if I have priority, as a cyclist and a ped. Glad he's ok.

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Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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Looks set up to me, why were they filming at that exact spot? Almost as if they waited for a car in that lane to come along.

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Chuck replied to Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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Karbon Kev wrote:

Looks set up to me, why were they filming at that exact spot? Almost as if they waited for a car in that lane to come along.

Eh? Do you think perhaps this could be taken from a longer bit of video than 30 seconds? Why so suspicious?

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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Karbon Kev wrote:

Looks set up to me, why were they filming at that exact spot? Almost as if they waited for a car in that lane to come along.

There's nothing in the video or the Seattle Bike Blog to suggest the two cyclists even knew each other.

The fact that the one with the helmet cam alerts the guy who was hit after the event that he'd captured it on film suggests they didn't, and it wasn't staged.

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JonMack replied to Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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Karbon Kev wrote:

Looks set up to me, why were they filming at that exact spot? Almost as if they waited for a car in that lane to come along.

Clearly they're both waiting at a stop light, when the light goes green they both push off. Why would you "set up" having someone get crashed into on a bike just to get some kind of internet stardom.

I've seen a number of your posts on here before and I've come to the conclusion that you're an idiot.

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Mariachi replied to JonMack | 13 years ago
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An accurate conclusion!

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Karbon Kev replied to JonMack | 13 years ago
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JonMack wrote:
Karbon Kev wrote:

Looks set up to me, why were they filming at that exact spot? Almost as if they waited for a car in that lane to come along.

Clearly they're both waiting at a stop light, when the light goes green they both push off. Why would you "set up" having someone get crashed into on a bike just to get some kind of internet stardom.

I've seen a number of your posts on here before and I've come to the conclusion that you're an idiot.

And the prize for the most imaginative and needlessly ignorant reply goes to Jon Mack, the man whose posts on other better known forums are equally as lame ....

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TheMadCyclist replied to Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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It's a helmet camera cyclist, he films his journeys.

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