Bicyclists' Greatest Fear: Being Hit From Behind

On February 11, 2011 many bicyclists’ worst fear was realized when 44-year-old bicyclist Suntat Peverley was killed after being hit from behind on his bike.

Peverley, according to this 10News.com article, was riding south in the bike lane on Genesee Ave. (near Clairemont Mesa Boulevard Drive) when he was hit from behind by the street sweeper of which a dozing 77-year-old man had lost control.

According to San Diego Police Officer David Stafford, Peverley was thrown from his bike into the pavement and suffered major head trauma. The blunt force trauma evidently included several skull fractures and massive brain damage. Although Peverley was on life support in Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla’s ICU briefly, he was pronounced dead at 10:45pm on Friday, February 11th, a little more than 5 hours after the time of the accident.

Peverley’s death is an example of a scenario that gives even extreme road warriors pause: getting hit from behind while doing everything right. Not only was Peverley in the bike lane (and out of traffic) at the time of the accident, he was also wearing a helmet to protect himself.