The Alibi, an alternative newspaper in Albuquerque, tries to piece together the scant facts about an accident on Route 66 in nearby Tijeras that killed an area cyclist, James Quinn, 27.
I’d heard about the accident weeks ago, but information was infernally sketchy. Even now, the sheriff still hasn’t released an accident report, the vehicle’s driver remains undisclosed, and no tickets have been issued.
And this is troubling, too:
According to BCSO spokesperson Erin Kinnard Thompsom, the driver was passing a group of cyclists going up a hill. “Then the driver saw oncoming traffic and had no choice but to swerve back — I’m not sure I would even call it a swerve — and that’s when the cyclists were hit.” She said it did not appear the driver was at fault. Responding to complaints that BCSO was not taking this accident seriously, she said, “We consider this accident a tragedy, and we will do a complete and thorough investigation.
“If she meant what she said about “a complete and thorough investigation,” Thompson should not have instantly absolved the driver of responsibility for killing someone. Thompson might also want to take a closer look at the roadway before firing off quick opinions. Passing is not permitted on the hills through the two-lane stretch in this area. If the driver had been passing on a hill, she was passing illegally. Thompson also has some explaining to do on how and why the driver put herself into a situation where she had “no choice” but to kill someone.
I drove that stretch no more than two weeks ago, and I’m a bit mystified how the accident happened myself. There aren’t any sharp curves in that area, nor blind hills. Johnny Mango, whose a longtime cyclist in Albuquerque, made some of the same observations and more in this report.
Whatever the reason was for the accident, I drove extra-careful while on Highway 333 (aka Route 66) through the Sandia Mountains heading to Albuquerque.
UPDATE 10/15/07: About 200 participated in a memorial ride for Quinn. Story from the Daily Lobo.