CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
“Cyclist dies after horror crash with van on A70 near West Calder”
(10 posts)-
Posted 2 days ago #
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Two in two days on the A70 :-(
Posted 2 days ago # -
Very unusually, in this incident the cyclist didn't require medical attention while one of the two drivers died.
It is no less sad when the victim of road violence is a driver.
Posted 2 days ago # -
Very unusual indeed. Eyes peeled for any further updates as can't quite picture the scenario that would arise to generate that outcome.
Must be something in the water this weekend - the A701 (Moffat - Leadburn) road was the site of a lot of poor driving yesterday about lunchtime, including a couple of near head-ons with opposite direction traffic in people's haste to get past me, you do sometimes feel it's an inevitability if you ride more than a few miles a year!
Posted 1 day ago # -
I can think of a few potential scenarios but I'm not going to start speculating here.
Posted 1 day ago # -
A car passed us badly in Cockenzie, when I was cycling there with the kids the other day. Fully in the other lane and caused an oncoming car to have to brake and stop!
I was a bit like, “er thanks for not close passing us, I guess… but why did you put yourself and the other driver in danger of a head on crash?” We turned off the main road, left to the High St, 50 yards later
MGIF mentality
Posted 1 day ago # -
I cycled back fro Ayr today on the A70
Near Kirknewton turn some young people were laying flowers for the driver who died in the Thursday night collision [where a cyclist is mentioned but unscathed]
Sadly here is my ride report. TLDR? Two deaths on one road in two days fails to alter driver behaviour at all [if you read it you should know I was one further incident of bad driving away from just getting the train and there was in a close pass after I had decided this but if was small beer]
Strong NE wind all day.. arm warmers on. Left about 09.15 after two hours solid chat with the old dear.
Whitletts Road in Ayr on a Sunday is a long corridor of broken glass.
Made it over the Whitletts Roundabut as it has traffic lights. Due to it being impossible heading east to Be in the right lane if you are cycling I get off and push.
First ten miles steady climbing all good
Just before Mauchline Black Sedan Man floors it downhill to overtake two cars - on my side, i retire to the verge [technially we are not on the A70 yet]
Stop at most excellent Country Corner at Sorn. Sit outside watch the River ayr chat to young couple walking the river Ayr path slowly. Camping with light gear. Told them about The Drum Ups the old 1950s cyclists used to have [why were they called Drum Ups? - i wish I was cycling then when driving was better]
Schlep over toMuirkirk. Fingland Hill looking good. Join the A70
Wind brutal. Just before Douglas on bad bends one boy on a scramble bike overtakes car on my side. Swerves to avoid me. Despite seeing me his pal also on scramble bike does the same.
Stop at Douglas - great Focacia from Jamie in Bakery and chat from Fraser in Bike shop.
Wind remains brutal after Douglas
On whang I am maybe before Tarbrax. I can hear a thunderous noise. A yellow Porsche like car called Rocket comes screaming by at 100mph.
but I make it to Auchinoon Brae where there is Always bother. I look ahead and spot a Police car in convoy heading west. Motorcyclist overtakes car behind me and me . He hasn’t looked ahead though and hasn’t seen the polis. They choose to ignore his speed and dangerous overtaking. Two of his three buddies then also overtake me and car [polis have gone] The fourth biker swings in towards me and then out again past the car. Not sure why he did that.
All good from there if i ignore close passes.
See the children laying the flowers.
What a day
Posted 1 day ago # -
Horrible news about both accidents. The more so as it is my regular commute now. It wasn't on Friday for first time in 2 months though.
I was heading past Balerno on Saturday morning around 4am before I was stopped by the police and told the road would remain closed for the foreseeable. I could have rerouted through Kirknewton but I thought about all those extra ups and downs and given that I was planning to do 470k that day I just headed back to bed. For the foreseeable.
Several hours later when I got out of bed I read the news.
This evening I went past both sites. There is no sign of anything at the Harburn turnoff where the cyclist died.
There were two cars parked at the layby at Kirknewton turnoff. There were about dozen people hugging each other and they erected a sign out of flowers saying "DAD". It was very sad to see this.
Posted 11 hours ago #
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