On July 12, 2013, a man riding his bicycle was struck by an Ohio State University RTA bus. The accident happened on Broadway Avenue, near East 34th Street, in Cleveland, Ohio. The accident happened early Thursday morning.
Both the man on the bike and Bus 15 were traveling north toward downtown Cleveland. The bus attempted to pass the bike when, according to the bus driver, the man on the bike cut in front of the bus.
According to the latest press releases, the Columbus police still have not figured out why the man fell from his bicycle after cutting in front of the bus. He died hours later.
Sixty five year old Raymond E. Hursey of North Linden, Ohio died at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center on June 26. The accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. and Hursey died about three hours later.
According to police reports, Hursey was traveling on his bike south on Summit. He was riding along the side of the bus driven by James B. Glover, 21.
A witness to the accident told authorities that it appeared that Hursey may have struck a parked car, which then caused him to fall under the bus. Hursey was struck by the rear tires of the bus. The bus driver was not injured and to date no charges have been filed.
The director of marketing and communications at Ohio State University, Lindsay M. Komlanc, told local media that James B. Glover has been employed by the universities bus services for about fourteen months and had no prior accidents. He is still employed by Ohio State University.
According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, Raymond Hursey was charged back in January of 2013 with driving under the influence after he was involved in what was called a minor hit-and-run accident on Westerville Road. He was scheduled to be sentenced a week after his death.
This was Cleveland’s second bus-bicycle collision since May. Back on May 22, popular Cleveland chef and local business owner Jonathon Sawyer of The Greenhouse Tavern fame was said to be riding his bike on Euclid Avenue when he was clipped by a RTA bus as they both turned onto East 45th Street. The incident happened around 8:15 a.m.
Sawyer was not injured in the incident. Later in the day he posted on Twitter, “Wow. Just got hit by an #RTA bus in #CLe, not injured but shaken up. Drivers please check your side.” The story was a media buzz after Sawyer posted the following on his Facebook page, “Today an RTA bus driver who was not obeying traffic laws hit me. This issue is bigger than Jonathon Sawyer or the RTA, it has to do with bike and driver safety. It has to do with raising awareness of drivers, city and it’s citizen. There is an amazing cycling community that has been flourishing here in Cleveland over the past ten years and they deserve to be safe. #sharetheroad”
Ohio laws state that all drivers are required to maintain what is called a ‘safe distance’ from cyclists. The law, however does not state a specific distance. A city ordinance in Cleveland requires that drivers stay a minimum of three feet from cyclists.