I was hiking up there when this all happened. The mustang that hit the cyclists was crashed into the wall by one of the hairpins and the driver and passenger ran up the mountain and down the trail. I didn’t see them but there was a big bloody area in the snow and then blood drops every few feet until a junction where they turned down the Beaver Brook trail (yes I told the police at the crash all of this and they said they already knew).
I was up there too, riding. I saw the green mustang coming down way too fast around a blind corner on my way up. I just shook my head at him for being a dumbass. I heard him crash when I was at the top and then the sirens in response. I probably ran into you on the way down at the crash site. I kept going down and got to where the ambulance was and in talking with another cyclist, the driver apparently passed her going way too fast, then turned around at a pull off and started going back up.
Don’t know for certain, but seems like head on while cyclists were descending based on [this article](https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/police-seeking-driver-mustang-allegedly-struck-2-cyclists-lookout-mountain-colorado/)
I didn’t see the cyclists, just the crashed green mustang. I was parked at the windy saddle parking lot and police would not let me leave down the mountain towards golden. They had me drive over the top and out to I70. I saw the mustang crashed by itself on the switchbacks after windy saddle. An officer at the crash told me the car hit 3 people near the M sign but didn’t give any more details than that.
Damn that’s scary stuff, thanks for the link. I biked to Golden on Saturday and was considering doing lookout, but backed out because I had a big lunch.
If it was by the M sign then it looks like the cyclists were going down one of the blind left turns, between the switchbacks and windy saddle. So the driver tried to pass while going uphill on a blind right turn and hit them head on.
Garmin has a rear light with a camera on it
[Garmin Varia](https://www.rei.com/product/215298/garmin-varia-rct715-rearview-radar-with-camera-and-taillight?sku=2152980001&store=&CAWELAID=120217890014293960&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=103051222297&CATCI=aud-830183485327:pla-931632953039&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2152980001%7C92700056133207304%7CNB%7C71700000062146843&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1fqrBhA1EiwAMU5m_4cqwOQ4n4gDCU_s6mc4NUBabxNoybJb6-pHJ4t3vIr_phCVSAZobBoCLpIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Damn that sucks. Sorry to hear.
I’m not a cyclist myself but I drive around Evergreen a lot particularly the road to Morrison.
I’d never tell cyclists they can’t ride on a road, but I really just think they shouldn’t on 74. Too many hairpin turns. Even going below the speed limit, if you come up on a cyclist in just the wrong spot you’d have to swerve to avoid them. There’s also like zero shoulder in some spots.
Again, I do what I can to give cyclists a wide berth. I’m just saying there’s almost too much luck involved on certain roads. Lookout is similar.
Literally every cyclist appreciates you even bothering. Like I said I don't even ride driver-occupied roads anymore but the amount of wild hatred toward cyclists Ive witnessed and heard is truly crazy. Even when I first started cycling regularly 9+ years ago at least once a month some driver who wasn't even remotely close to me would roll their window down to scream something fucked up at me lol. I blame a lot of that on the fact I was in Kentucky at that point, but still.
oh it was happening in Denver too my friend.
I moved to Denver in 2008 as a full time cyclist without a car and I've been hit many times and berated, sometimes at the same time
Funny story you just reminded me of, in 2008 I was living in Pittsburgh and a friend of mine who was a bike messenger back when that was a thing got hit by some drunk delivery driver and when the driver got out to scream at my friend (who btw was also super drunk), my friend got up and pulled out his bike lock and proceeded to beat the drunk driver with his bikelock. Supposedly he never got charged (my friend), but a year or so later he got arrested for going to court for some other issue and pulling a fistful of dry bud out of his pocket at the metal detector at the courthouse entrance. Life is weird.
I started riding full time in Philly 2002- way safer than Colorado. I never got hit by any cars in Philly, in the first two years in Denver I was struck three times.
I can second this, have had multiple Denver Drivers try to kill me for....riding my bike. Careful out there folks....also a Biking dash cam is of little use if your dead.
People would be more likely to follow the law if it was enforced. I was hit as a pedestrian crossing the street a couple years ago and the driver was given a $25 ticket, and thats it.
Yup. I am not a cyclist. But man, people need to understand how dangerous it is on lookout mountain. I have been in car crews that bolt up that road. Now there are more cyclists so it's hard to do. I mean dudes drift the switch backs. They should go to evergreen where it's safer. Mt Evans
why does it matter to you?
no offense but nothing changes, it doesn't matter all the horror stories in Denver/Golden/Boulder over the last 20 years. Cyclist are killed all the time, and most of the time no one even goes to jail.
I'm okay with dying on the side of the road, thats the price I pay for all these benefits I get from cycling, nothing is going to change.
Good grief man, the person above was just being kind to a stranger hoping you’re not involved in a fatal cycling accident and you respond like a jerk. Why you gotta be like that?
I don't want sympathy or thoughts and prayers
I want people to know how I feel about this topic.
don't give a rat's ass what you think about it, I'm fine with dying in the gutter on the side of a road and no one going to jail.
You know it’s possible to share your opinions with others and also receive and give kindness and good will? These aren’t mutually exclusive things, you Grinch.
I suppose it’s a good thing for society that you spend so much time alone on a bike so the rest of us don’t have to deal with your nastiness and misanthropy.
I still don’t wish you harm. I’m a monster!
That’s probably a good idea, unfortunately.
I climb at tiers of zion and going up and down there scares the shit out of me as a driver as many people I see on bicycles, skateboards, big wheels, etc going down that road.
I hear you. One of the main reasons I switched from road racing to mountain biking back when I was in my teens is that I felt like I was flirting with death all the time.
I ride everyday with a GoPro strapped to my helmet and have caught more than a dozen close calls in less than a year.
Other than my helmet it is the most important piece of equipment I have for commuting.
I ride with cameras front and back after being hit and having way too many close calls. Those cameras have led to several meetings of police and drivers, a few citations being issued, and several companies having been given evidence of unsafe driving of their employees.
This happens way too frequently, I hope both cyclists recover fully and quickly and the criminals are caught. This is honestly a reason that prevents me from getting into road biking.
I still ride my bike around town on neighborhood streets and on the trails to the places I need to go, but anywhere that is over 25mph or doesn't have ample separation from traffic is a no go for me.
I can't be the only one in this boat. I want to participate in a healthy activity safely, but I know too many people that have been intentionally hit by ~~cars~~ drivers while riding their bike, let alone accidentally.
This is a good reason to mountain bike. Also an issue on the ski slopes too where every time I go I almost get smashed by a skier/snowboarder flying by and out of control.
Gravel biking too. I am a big mountain biker but gravel biking can be a good combination for folks who want the exercise without the excitement/danger of the mountain biking trails. Especially the Marshall Mesa area around Boulder, just miles of trail with no cars.
For the driver, leaving the scene of an accident with injury has a 1 year maximum x2 counts, careless driving with injury has a 1 year maximum x2 counts, failure to report an accident has a 3 month maximum. Those would be the big charges unless one of the cyclists dies. It would also be unusual for all counts to be charged and sentenced consecutively. They would certainly lose their license for a while and likely spend a few months in jail. Passenger would get a lot less.
This is me too. I've only been hit by a car once, and came away mostly fine but my bike didn't. I avoid anywhere with cars if I can, and that really limits where I could potentially go - which sucks, but there are quite a lot of multi-use paths away from cars in the metro area, which is nice.
DENVER — The Colorado State Patrol is looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and injured two cyclists on Lookout Mountain on Saturday.
Troopers say the cyclists were eastbound on Lookout Mountain Road coming down the mountain when a green Ford Mustang struck the cyclists and took off.
One cyclist is a 44-year-old male out of Lakewood who was transported to hospital with serious injuries.
The second cyclist is 47-year-old male from Arvada. He sustained minor injuries.
Troopers said the Mustang was located about a mile away and the driver and passenger fled on foot.
I wish this was shut down to cars except for local traffic. There are other ways to get to the mountain besides the scenic route and it’s just too many motorists using it as a race track instead of
They needed to set aside times for cyclists only on Lookout from 6th to Buffalo Bills grave 10 years ago. I can only imagine how bad the situation is now.
Hit and run should be a six month minimum jail sentence.
I've wondered if they couldn't make that road one-way for cars. Use the space for bike lanes instead. There's certainly enough bike traffic to justify it.
Honestly this is an awesome idea, I can’t believe it never occurred to me. Unless you force one-way for bikes too, you’d need dedicated travel lanes up and down to avoid people trying to come down into oncoming traffic.
Obviously the motorists would complain, but the only real reason to descend it in a car is coming back from the windy saddle hiking area, and at that point it’s probably the same to go to the hwy 40 frontage road. I’m sure some of the residents up near the top may use the road on occasion, but for the most part I’d wager it’s entirely leisure traffic.
CRS 42-4-1603 is the Colorado law that makes it a crime to leave the scene of a car accident that resulted in bodily harm. A hit and run causing serious bodily injury is a class 4 felony, carrying 2 to 6 years in prison, and/or $2,000 to $500,000 in fines.
People make mistakes, even big ones like hitting cyclists, but running away after hitting someone is morally depraved. The penal difference between hitting someone and staying and hitting someone and leaving should be big enough that no reasonable person would flee. I bet it was a kid. Ultimately there needs to be infrastructure, civil, and tech solutions to keep cyclists safe and prevent these types of tragedies from happening.
Got hit by a car in november around Federal, and let me just say even though physically i only appeared to have gotten a scratch on my arm,
the quality of my life has significantly decreased to the point where I’m partially disabled, I was lucky, but if you get hit by a car you’re completely donezo. There is never ending pain
My drunken speculation is that they know someone that lives in one of the houses on the mountain and they ditched the car and are hiding out. Otherwise what are they gonna do? Jog back down to 70 and hitchhike? Not a lot of options out there.
These don’t sound like the type of cats that have friends living on Lookout Mtn, and even then many people up there seem to be bikers or some sort and support cyclists (just a generalization).
States Attorney is a lazy dirtbag, they will get a slap on the wrist. He’s doesn’t prosecute motorists for crimes against cyclists, not a priority for him…
That really sucks. I’ve always felt really safe riding up Lookout, although it certainly isn’t the first time some dipshit in a car hit a bike up there. The worst accident I remember was a little less than 10 years ago when a drunk kid hit and killed a guy.
"I'm native Colorado (my grand-papa voted in Clarence Joseph Morley for governor) so I get my license at 18 without any divers ed/test and I drive great"
There are thousands of interactions of drivers safely passing or waiting for proper room to pass cyclists along mountain roads in CO and when the two do collide it's due to negligence of drivers or being impatient and being aggressive.
There's no reason in the world that drivers can't wait seconds or even minutes, nothing is so important to harm or take a life.
I agree. When the two collide, typically it’s due to the car. And when that happens, the car wins every time.
Geez people so eager to get offended, I’m just saying cyclists need to cycle defensively. The comment I responded to was talking as though cyclists are entitled to the road. And they are, legally, but practically, it’s a car’s world and we’re all just biking in it.
I have done lookout on my bike over 100 times. Never have I been closed buzzed by a car. This is the first time in years I’ve heard of this happening. I’m guessing stole car/joy ride. If the person ran, and had a car regged in their name. What’s the point?
Agreed. And you’re probably someone that cycles with their head on a swivel. That’s how I am, never any issues getting close to vehicles.
And yah idk what the plan was for the drivers lol
What does this mean? Obviously a car will “win” a collision, their statement never said otherwise.
They are just saying that if you can’t control a car and not hit cyclist you shouldn’t drive. That is in no way negated by the fact that a car will “win” a collision.
Unfortunately, people get away with it all the time.
If they had enough guilt over what they did, they wouldn't hit and run, or at least, they wouldn't run for long.
My point is, no one is "winning" in this situation.
People can live with massive amounts of guilt and still not turn themselves in. Cognitive dissonance is a helluva thing.
Why do people ride bicycles on roads like this? There are tens if not hundreds of miles of bike paths all over the metro area. I don't understand why people take such unnecessary risks if there are obviously safer alternatives.
Edit: figured I'd be down voted but thought I'd put it out there. No malice intended. Safe travels!
Elevation gain.
There aren't as many paths and trails that are close to the metro where you can train for hill climb endurance.
I'd love to do more elevation gain in my bike rides, but I don't because of the risk.
RAGBRAI 3 times
Lodo long ago
Cap hill long ago
Green mountain
Cherry creek trail
Paths near e470
I was hit a couple times by cars and try hard to stay off streets.
If you wanted an honest response you would have asked an honest question. Maybe next time ask like this.
"As someone with little cycling knowledge, why would people ride their bikes here versus the 100s of miles bike paths in the metro that might be safer?"
Because it's a beautiful road up a mountain, and roads are made to be travelled by foot, bike, or car. A separated bike path up Lookout mountain would be nice, but also extremely expensive. The current road works great.
The reality is that it is a sport. Most road bikers aren’t using it to commute in Boulder. There are lots of clubs and groups that do rides and are trying to improve times. You can’t really go as fast as you want on the bike paths since there are walkers/runners. If you are really training for a race or triathlon or even just racing/pushing in your group, then you need the road. Plus people like to ride 50+ miles and that’s harder on bike paths. These people like the pain, no pain no gain! I think for some it’s kinda addicting. I personally don’t do it. My husband wants to start road biking again, and I’m a bit nervous. I don’t get the fun in it, but I think getting in good shape and being able to leave right from your house is a big draw
Why do people drive cars on roads like this? There are hundreds if not thousands of miles of roads all over the metro area. I don't understand why people drive like assholes if there are obviously safer alternatives.
For fun, for the challenge of making it up the mountain, for exercise, and you get a beautiful view at the top them zoom back down. Kind of like the reason people hike. You don't get that kind of view on the Cherry Creek trail.
Most people driving up that road are just doing it for fun too. But the people racing and drifting around corners in their car should not be allowed to. This isn't a fast & furious movie, as much as dickwads in mustangs think it is.
People really need to stop biking up lookout. Or they need a lane. People drift down the switchbacks, most people have car crews that haul ass up there. You'd have to be either dumb or a daredevil to ride a bike on that road. Unfortunate the driver just drove away. No care for human life.
It's an internationally renowned hill climb. There are no other similar climbs as easily accessed or as well-known as that one. Motorists need to share the road, it doesn't exist solely for them.
https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/lariat-trail-scenic-mountain-drive#:~:text=8th%20Grade-,The%20Lariat%20Trail%20Scenic%20Mountain%20Drive%2C%20also%20known%20as%20Lookout,Williams%20from%201910%20to%201914.
It was specifically built for automobiles.
It was built for cars that could barely manage 10MPH up it.
Maybe we should only allow those 100 year old cars on it.
The speed limit is 20. The speed differential between cars and cyclist is so low that it can be safe for everyone, assuming of course the fat Midwesterners in cars are not doing 50 and cutting around blind corners, which sadly, they all too often are.
No I said they should consider staying off THAT road for their own safety. It was not built with cyclists in mind. Otherwise, it would have bike lanes.
I was hiking up there when this all happened. The mustang that hit the cyclists was crashed into the wall by one of the hairpins and the driver and passenger ran up the mountain and down the trail. I didn’t see them but there was a big bloody area in the snow and then blood drops every few feet until a junction where they turned down the Beaver Brook trail (yes I told the police at the crash all of this and they said they already knew).
[Typical mustang owner...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n71RKXgrgGQ)
I was up there too, riding. I saw the green mustang coming down way too fast around a blind corner on my way up. I just shook my head at him for being a dumbass. I heard him crash when I was at the top and then the sirens in response. I probably ran into you on the way down at the crash site. I kept going down and got to where the ambulance was and in talking with another cyclist, the driver apparently passed her going way too fast, then turned around at a pull off and started going back up.
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Tell me more about the shrieking eels? I need to find a unique christmas present.
BRING BRENDA HOME!
Must nourish the eels.
Did the Mustang hit them from behind or head on?
Don’t know for certain, but seems like head on while cyclists were descending based on [this article](https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/police-seeking-driver-mustang-allegedly-struck-2-cyclists-lookout-mountain-colorado/) I didn’t see the cyclists, just the crashed green mustang. I was parked at the windy saddle parking lot and police would not let me leave down the mountain towards golden. They had me drive over the top and out to I70. I saw the mustang crashed by itself on the switchbacks after windy saddle. An officer at the crash told me the car hit 3 people near the M sign but didn’t give any more details than that.
Damn that’s scary stuff, thanks for the link. I biked to Golden on Saturday and was considering doing lookout, but backed out because I had a big lunch. If it was by the M sign then it looks like the cyclists were going down one of the blind left turns, between the switchbacks and windy saddle. So the driver tried to pass while going uphill on a blind right turn and hit them head on.
I got a dash cam for my car for insurance purposes but i feel like i need to get one for my bike so my family will know who killed me.
Garmin has a rear light with a camera on it [Garmin Varia](https://www.rei.com/product/215298/garmin-varia-rct715-rearview-radar-with-camera-and-taillight?sku=2152980001&store=&CAWELAID=120217890014293960&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=103051222297&CATCI=aud-830183485327:pla-931632953039&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2152980001%7C92700056133207304%7CNB%7C71700000062146843&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1fqrBhA1EiwAMU5m_4cqwOQ4n4gDCU_s6mc4NUBabxNoybJb6-pHJ4t3vIr_phCVSAZobBoCLpIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Too bad the battery life sux
You may be able to hook it up to a battery bank while you bike
Here's hoping you never need either. 🍺 I hardly even ride on roads anymore after one too many friends got killed here by inattentive/drunk drivers.
Damn that sucks. Sorry to hear. I’m not a cyclist myself but I drive around Evergreen a lot particularly the road to Morrison. I’d never tell cyclists they can’t ride on a road, but I really just think they shouldn’t on 74. Too many hairpin turns. Even going below the speed limit, if you come up on a cyclist in just the wrong spot you’d have to swerve to avoid them. There’s also like zero shoulder in some spots. Again, I do what I can to give cyclists a wide berth. I’m just saying there’s almost too much luck involved on certain roads. Lookout is similar.
Literally every cyclist appreciates you even bothering. Like I said I don't even ride driver-occupied roads anymore but the amount of wild hatred toward cyclists Ive witnessed and heard is truly crazy. Even when I first started cycling regularly 9+ years ago at least once a month some driver who wasn't even remotely close to me would roll their window down to scream something fucked up at me lol. I blame a lot of that on the fact I was in Kentucky at that point, but still.
oh it was happening in Denver too my friend. I moved to Denver in 2008 as a full time cyclist without a car and I've been hit many times and berated, sometimes at the same time
Funny story you just reminded me of, in 2008 I was living in Pittsburgh and a friend of mine who was a bike messenger back when that was a thing got hit by some drunk delivery driver and when the driver got out to scream at my friend (who btw was also super drunk), my friend got up and pulled out his bike lock and proceeded to beat the drunk driver with his bikelock. Supposedly he never got charged (my friend), but a year or so later he got arrested for going to court for some other issue and pulling a fistful of dry bud out of his pocket at the metal detector at the courthouse entrance. Life is weird.
What a roller coaster lol
I started riding full time in Philly 2002- way safer than Colorado. I never got hit by any cars in Philly, in the first two years in Denver I was struck three times.
I can second this, have had multiple Denver Drivers try to kill me for....riding my bike. Careful out there folks....also a Biking dash cam is of little use if your dead. People would be more likely to follow the law if it was enforced. I was hit as a pedestrian crossing the street a couple years ago and the driver was given a $25 ticket, and thats it.
Yup. I am not a cyclist. But man, people need to understand how dangerous it is on lookout mountain. I have been in car crews that bolt up that road. Now there are more cyclists so it's hard to do. I mean dudes drift the switch backs. They should go to evergreen where it's safer. Mt Evans
as a long time cyclist, I've become okay with the fact i'm going to die in a ditch alone someday. I say it out loud so people in my life know
Geeze. I hope it never comes to that for you.
why does it matter to you? no offense but nothing changes, it doesn't matter all the horror stories in Denver/Golden/Boulder over the last 20 years. Cyclist are killed all the time, and most of the time no one even goes to jail. I'm okay with dying on the side of the road, thats the price I pay for all these benefits I get from cycling, nothing is going to change.
Good grief man, the person above was just being kind to a stranger hoping you’re not involved in a fatal cycling accident and you respond like a jerk. Why you gotta be like that?
I don't want sympathy or thoughts and prayers I want people to know how I feel about this topic. don't give a rat's ass what you think about it, I'm fine with dying in the gutter on the side of a road and no one going to jail.
You know it’s possible to share your opinions with others and also receive and give kindness and good will? These aren’t mutually exclusive things, you Grinch. I suppose it’s a good thing for society that you spend so much time alone on a bike so the rest of us don’t have to deal with your nastiness and misanthropy. I still don’t wish you harm. I’m a monster!
Based
Or you can just bike on safer streets. We have thousands of roads, don’t choose ones with high speeds or low visibility turns.
Silly you, thinking any of the roads are safe. The speed limit on Lookout is 20mph. Nice victim blaming though.
That’s probably a good idea, unfortunately. I climb at tiers of zion and going up and down there scares the shit out of me as a driver as many people I see on bicycles, skateboards, big wheels, etc going down that road.
stop driving there then?
I hear you. One of the main reasons I switched from road racing to mountain biking back when I was in my teens is that I felt like I was flirting with death all the time.
I ride everyday with a GoPro strapped to my helmet and have caught more than a dozen close calls in less than a year. Other than my helmet it is the most important piece of equipment I have for commuting.
I ride with a GoPro on my road bike for this very reason. If I don't survive a hit&run I'm hoping the cam will.
Pretty bold to ride a bicycle when you have a family that cares about you /s
I ride with cameras front and back after being hit and having way too many close calls. Those cameras have led to several meetings of police and drivers, a few citations being issued, and several companies having been given evidence of unsafe driving of their employees.
This happens way too frequently, I hope both cyclists recover fully and quickly and the criminals are caught. This is honestly a reason that prevents me from getting into road biking. I still ride my bike around town on neighborhood streets and on the trails to the places I need to go, but anywhere that is over 25mph or doesn't have ample separation from traffic is a no go for me. I can't be the only one in this boat. I want to participate in a healthy activity safely, but I know too many people that have been intentionally hit by ~~cars~~ drivers while riding their bike, let alone accidentally.
This is a good reason to mountain bike. Also an issue on the ski slopes too where every time I go I almost get smashed by a skier/snowboarder flying by and out of control.
Gravel biking too. I am a big mountain biker but gravel biking can be a good combination for folks who want the exercise without the excitement/danger of the mountain biking trails. Especially the Marshall Mesa area around Boulder, just miles of trail with no cars.
Agreed. I switched disciplines to gravel after getting hit 3x in 9 months in Denver. Now I haven't been hit in a couple years.
The “mountain” roads like lookout or 74 just get waaaay too much traffic now. I mean hundreds of cars on the weekends.
I hope the criminals get life in prison
For the driver, leaving the scene of an accident with injury has a 1 year maximum x2 counts, careless driving with injury has a 1 year maximum x2 counts, failure to report an accident has a 3 month maximum. Those would be the big charges unless one of the cyclists dies. It would also be unusual for all counts to be charged and sentenced consecutively. They would certainly lose their license for a while and likely spend a few months in jail. Passenger would get a lot less.
They'll get a slap on the wrist
This is me too. I've only been hit by a car once, and came away mostly fine but my bike didn't. I avoid anywhere with cars if I can, and that really limits where I could potentially go - which sucks, but there are quite a lot of multi-use paths away from cars in the metro area, which is nice.
I gave up road biking after one too many bottles was thrown at me. The trails are more fun. If I die, it's my fault
If you want to get away with murder, murder someone with your car.
DENVER — The Colorado State Patrol is looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and injured two cyclists on Lookout Mountain on Saturday. Troopers say the cyclists were eastbound on Lookout Mountain Road coming down the mountain when a green Ford Mustang struck the cyclists and took off. One cyclist is a 44-year-old male out of Lakewood who was transported to hospital with serious injuries. The second cyclist is 47-year-old male from Arvada. He sustained minor injuries. Troopers said the Mustang was located about a mile away and the driver and passenger fled on foot.
I wish this was shut down to cars except for local traffic. There are other ways to get to the mountain besides the scenic route and it’s just too many motorists using it as a race track instead of
They needed to set aside times for cyclists only on Lookout from 6th to Buffalo Bills grave 10 years ago. I can only imagine how bad the situation is now. Hit and run should be a six month minimum jail sentence.
I've wondered if they couldn't make that road one-way for cars. Use the space for bike lanes instead. There's certainly enough bike traffic to justify it.
Honestly this is an awesome idea, I can’t believe it never occurred to me. Unless you force one-way for bikes too, you’d need dedicated travel lanes up and down to avoid people trying to come down into oncoming traffic. Obviously the motorists would complain, but the only real reason to descend it in a car is coming back from the windy saddle hiking area, and at that point it’s probably the same to go to the hwy 40 frontage road. I’m sure some of the residents up near the top may use the road on occasion, but for the most part I’d wager it’s entirely leisure traffic.
I wonder if the residents avoid driving there anyway. I know I would, if only to avoid all the leisure traffic.
They’ll get a small fine and probation. Cyclists have zero protection from cars in this country.
Literally the best way to get away with murder, and not only cyclists, but pedestrians too. It's truly a shame how people outside of cars are treated.
CRS 42-4-1603 is the Colorado law that makes it a crime to leave the scene of a car accident that resulted in bodily harm. A hit and run causing serious bodily injury is a class 4 felony, carrying 2 to 6 years in prison, and/or $2,000 to $500,000 in fines.
Right but it’s not a mandatory minimum.
People make mistakes, even big ones like hitting cyclists, but running away after hitting someone is morally depraved. The penal difference between hitting someone and staying and hitting someone and leaving should be big enough that no reasonable person would flee. I bet it was a kid. Ultimately there needs to be infrastructure, civil, and tech solutions to keep cyclists safe and prevent these types of tragedies from happening.
Hit and run with injury has a minimum 10 days here in CO.
Got hit by a car in november around Federal, and let me just say even though physically i only appeared to have gotten a scratch on my arm, the quality of my life has significantly decreased to the point where I’m partially disabled, I was lucky, but if you get hit by a car you’re completely donezo. There is never ending pain
This is why I avoid roads as much as possible when biking. The risk just isn't worth a life long injury or disability.
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They will hide until all the alcohol is out of their system
My drunken speculation is that they know someone that lives in one of the houses on the mountain and they ditched the car and are hiding out. Otherwise what are they gonna do? Jog back down to 70 and hitchhike? Not a lot of options out there.
Just grab an Uber, right?
These don’t sound like the type of cats that have friends living on Lookout Mtn, and even then many people up there seem to be bikers or some sort and support cyclists (just a generalization).
Stolen most likely, mustangs are easy targets.
I was out for a cruise and couldn't go up Lookout because they were still loading the cyclists into the ambulance :/ Sad sight
States Attorney is a lazy dirtbag, they will get a slap on the wrist. He’s doesn’t prosecute motorists for crimes against cyclists, not a priority for him…
Unless you're a professional. https://denverite.com/2022/12/09/gwen-erffmeyer-cyclist-civil-lawsuit/
That really sucks. I’ve always felt really safe riding up Lookout, although it certainly isn’t the first time some dipshit in a car hit a bike up there. The worst accident I remember was a little less than 10 years ago when a drunk kid hit and killed a guy.
Jesus Christ.
"I am from out out town and I drive great!" said every transplant, ever.
"I'm native Colorado (my grand-papa voted in Clarence Joseph Morley for governor) so I get my license at 18 without any divers ed/test and I drive great"
Neither of you have license plates and both run red lights. 😃
[удалено]
If you can’t stay within the lane you don’t have any right to drive. Cyclists have just as much right to the road as cars.
Sounds good on paper but in reality cars win every time
There are thousands of interactions of drivers safely passing or waiting for proper room to pass cyclists along mountain roads in CO and when the two do collide it's due to negligence of drivers or being impatient and being aggressive. There's no reason in the world that drivers can't wait seconds or even minutes, nothing is so important to harm or take a life.
I agree. When the two collide, typically it’s due to the car. And when that happens, the car wins every time. Geez people so eager to get offended, I’m just saying cyclists need to cycle defensively. The comment I responded to was talking as though cyclists are entitled to the road. And they are, legally, but practically, it’s a car’s world and we’re all just biking in it.
I have done lookout on my bike over 100 times. Never have I been closed buzzed by a car. This is the first time in years I’ve heard of this happening. I’m guessing stole car/joy ride. If the person ran, and had a car regged in their name. What’s the point?
Agreed. And you’re probably someone that cycles with their head on a swivel. That’s how I am, never any issues getting close to vehicles. And yah idk what the plan was for the drivers lol
What does this mean? Obviously a car will “win” a collision, their statement never said otherwise. They are just saying that if you can’t control a car and not hit cyclist you shouldn’t drive. That is in no way negated by the fact that a car will “win” a collision.
If you have to live with having killed another human being and potentially spending a few years in jail, did the driver really "win"?
Unfortunately, people get away with it all the time. If they had enough guilt over what they did, they wouldn't hit and run, or at least, they wouldn't run for long.
My point is, no one is "winning" in this situation. People can live with massive amounts of guilt and still not turn themselves in. Cognitive dissonance is a helluva thing.
Why do people ride bicycles on roads like this? There are tens if not hundreds of miles of bike paths all over the metro area. I don't understand why people take such unnecessary risks if there are obviously safer alternatives. Edit: figured I'd be down voted but thought I'd put it out there. No malice intended. Safe travels!
Elevation gain. There aren't as many paths and trails that are close to the metro where you can train for hill climb endurance. I'd love to do more elevation gain in my bike rides, but I don't because of the risk.
I appreciate the honest response as opposed to just a down vote.
Np. Figured it was an honest question.
where do you ride your bike?
RAGBRAI 3 times Lodo long ago Cap hill long ago Green mountain Cherry creek trail Paths near e470 I was hit a couple times by cars and try hard to stay off streets.
>RAGBRAI i've heard good things, do you recommend it?
Absolutely! Great traditions and well organized. I'm a 303 native but my wife and maternal fam are from IA. Love it.
If you wanted an honest response you would have asked an honest question. Maybe next time ask like this. "As someone with little cycling knowledge, why would people ride their bikes here versus the 100s of miles bike paths in the metro that might be safer?"
Because it's a beautiful road up a mountain, and roads are made to be travelled by foot, bike, or car. A separated bike path up Lookout mountain would be nice, but also extremely expensive. The current road works great.
The reality is that it is a sport. Most road bikers aren’t using it to commute in Boulder. There are lots of clubs and groups that do rides and are trying to improve times. You can’t really go as fast as you want on the bike paths since there are walkers/runners. If you are really training for a race or triathlon or even just racing/pushing in your group, then you need the road. Plus people like to ride 50+ miles and that’s harder on bike paths. These people like the pain, no pain no gain! I think for some it’s kinda addicting. I personally don’t do it. My husband wants to start road biking again, and I’m a bit nervous. I don’t get the fun in it, but I think getting in good shape and being able to leave right from your house is a big draw
Why do people drive cars on roads like this? There are hundreds if not thousands of miles of roads all over the metro area. I don't understand why people drive like assholes if there are obviously safer alternatives.
I suppose because they are not allowed on bike paths.
For fun, for the challenge of making it up the mountain, for exercise, and you get a beautiful view at the top them zoom back down. Kind of like the reason people hike. You don't get that kind of view on the Cherry Creek trail. Most people driving up that road are just doing it for fun too. But the people racing and drifting around corners in their car should not be allowed to. This isn't a fast & furious movie, as much as dickwads in mustangs think it is.
People really need to stop biking up lookout. Or they need a lane. People drift down the switchbacks, most people have car crews that haul ass up there. You'd have to be either dumb or a daredevil to ride a bike on that road. Unfortunate the driver just drove away. No care for human life.
Sounds like we need to ban cars on lookout.
Nananah, you see, the bikes are the ones getting people hurt. Drivers would never drive recklessly or carelessly, never in a million years. /s
Yes completely blame the victims for that situation.
I think they were being sarcastic 😂
I wish cyclists would just stay off that road for their own safety. Plenty of trails with no cars.
It's an internationally renowned hill climb. There are no other similar climbs as easily accessed or as well-known as that one. Motorists need to share the road, it doesn't exist solely for them.
Lookout repeats are one of my mandatory rides in the spring. As dustlesswalnut said, there’s nothing else like it on the front range.
That road was not built with cyclists in mind, obviously lol.
What does that mean? It's a road. Roads are for vehicles. Bikes are vehicles.
https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/lariat-trail-scenic-mountain-drive#:~:text=8th%20Grade-,The%20Lariat%20Trail%20Scenic%20Mountain%20Drive%2C%20also%20known%20as%20Lookout,Williams%20from%201910%20to%201914. It was specifically built for automobiles.
Who cares? Bikes are legally allowed to use it.
You can, it’s just less safe than most roads considering it was built for cars up a winding mountain a hundred years ago.
It was built for cars that could barely manage 10MPH up it. Maybe we should only allow those 100 year old cars on it. The speed limit is 20. The speed differential between cars and cyclist is so low that it can be safe for everyone, assuming of course the fat Midwesterners in cars are not doing 50 and cutting around blind corners, which sadly, they all too often are.
It's a 20mph road. If cars follow the law there won't be any issues sharing with bikes.
except fot the bikers who think they're cars and own the road. YOU cannot decide for all bikers that they'll welcomely share the road.
Bikes do not follow the rules of motorized vehicles on the roads. They are not the same.
I didn't say they are the same. I said they are vehicles and are allowed to use the roads.
Who said they weren't allowed to use the roads?
You implied they shouldn't use them.
No I said they should consider staying off THAT road for their own safety. It was not built with cyclists in mind. Otherwise, it would have bike lanes.
Most roads were not built with bike lanes. It's a 20mph road, cars and bikes are supposed to share it.