Rash of tragedies

Most of you in Northeast Ohio will remember hearing about Miles Coburn's tragic and fatal accident while cycling east of Cleveland on 8/16/08

Last week I had briefly mentioned that a participant had died while competing in the JCB biathlon, a race I participated in for the first time that day. I'll ask again for everyone to keep Kevin Karn's family in your thoughts and prayers. I just learned yesterday of Darryl Kollai's untimely death this past Saturday. While in the middle of posting this blog entry, I happened to TiVo this news segment (hopefully the content will be posted to myfoxcleveland.com so that I can link to it). Thanks to TRIGUYJT for this thoughtful segment and blog post.



While still working on this blog entry and posting the video above, I received a disheartening call from my girlfriend who told me that one of her highschool friends, Daniel Duncan, had just been hit and killed by a drunk driver while riding back to the West Virginia Wesleyan campus. He was a 2008 graduate of Norwalk Catholic (Norwalk St. Paul).

http://www.wvmetronews.com/print.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=26202

09/04/2008
Wesleyan Freshman Killed In Accident
Staff
Buckhannon
An after dinner bike ride ended tragically for a freshman student at West Virginia Wesleyan Wednesday night. Upshur County Sheriff's Deputies say 18-year-old Daniel Duncan of Norwalk, Ohio was killed when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver.

Sheriff Virgil Miller says the accident occurred on Route 20 about six miles south of the Buckhannon campus in the community of Hinkleville. He says Duncan was apparently riding back to campus when a truck being driven by 23-year-old Roger Lee Harrison of French Creek hit him. Sheriff Miller says Harrison was attempting to pass another vehicle when the deadly accident occurred.

Sheriff Miller says Harrison left the scene of the accident, but several residents outside a nearby convenience store saw the whole thing. "They were able to give us a description and information," the sheriff said. Harrison was arrested within 90 minutes of the crash.

West Virginia Wesleyan spokesman Bob Skinner says Daniel Duncan had already started to make an impact on campus although he had just been there for a little more than two weeks. "He joined our Honors program, was a member of the Concert Chorale, the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble and Cycling Club," Skinner said. "He had a list of activities that you usually don't see freshman do that quickly."

Skinner says counselors are in place at the college and a memorial service has been scheduled for next Tuesday. "This was a charismatic young man who had lots of friends at the college," Skinner said.

The last student killed at Wesleyan died in a car wreck in early 2006.
Sheriff Miller says Roger Harrison is charged with a pair of felonies, DUI causing death and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. He says Harrison has never been arrested in Upshur County, where he recently moved, but has been in custody on a number of other charges in California, Illinois, Louisiana and Pocahontas County.

The sheriff met with the student’s family Thursday morning. Skinner says Wesleyan’s president and dean of students also spoke with them. He says they are devastated but thankful for the help Wesleyan is providing.

While our collective loss pales in comparison to the individual loss faced by the families and close friends of the dearly departed, this is a lot for this area's cycling community to face in such a short time period. I strongly maintain that not only the length but also the quality of one's life is normally greatly enhanced by cycling. But this is a reminder to please be careful on the roads both as cyclists and as motorists.

On a related note, a good friend of mine had a near fatal heart attack while working out this past winter. He told me his doctors said that his heart attack would have been fatal had he not been in good physical shape (from cycling) and that he had recognized the symptoms early on. While diet and excersise will go a long way toward improving health, it is important to be cautious and consult with a health care professional if you're having issues or something doesn't feel right. I think I'm going to schedule either a stress test or a VO2 Max test in the near future to make sure I am staying within my limits and don't have any problems that I'm not yet aware of.

Update at 9:15pm 9/4/08 http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/2008/09/ian-hibell-cyclist-who-pedalled-world.html

Simon de Bruxelles

A cyclist who pedalled the world for more than 40 years, braving raging rivers, a lion and the hospitality of an Eskimo princess, has been killed by a hit-and-run driver in Greece.

Ian Hibell, 74, was a well-known figure in the world of long-distance cycle touring, setting several records and pedalling the equivalent of ten times around the Equator.

I honestly cannot believe the disregard for human life that one would need to have in order to hit a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcycle, or motorist and then drive away...

Update at 12:50pm 9/5/08 Funeral arrangements for Daniel Duncan have been posted on the Norwalk Catholic website