Action Alert: WJZ misrepresented facts to imply cyclist was at fault
We have an update on our previous alert "Accidents Involving Pedestrians Rise In Balt. Co."
It seems that WJZ totally misrepresented the facts in the recent Baltimore County bike crash. Besides the confusing manner of starting off talking about a bike crash then switching to pedestrains crashes and how pedestrains (not cyclists) are generally at fault and then switching to the bike crash and the so called police report which WJZ summarized as:
The police report shows the truck driver in Tuesday's crash may not be at fault.
Police say the bicyclist wasn't wearing a helmet, and they believe he was riding in the middle of the car lane. They also say the driver probably had a blind spot when he came over the hill.
Read the Baltimore County Police response to see why we are upset over the misrepresentation by WJZ and are asking for a correction. Sample letter and who to contact after the fold.
A response from Chief James Johnson [B' Spokes: note emphasis ours.]
I have reviewed your comments and concerns regarding the recent WJZ report on pedestrian and bicycle accidents being on the rise in Baltimore County. Specifically, I am responding to your concerns that the police reported that the truck driver may not be at fault and that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet, was riding in the middle of the car lane, and that the truck driver had a blind spot when he came over a hill. I am unaware of any police report on this crash stating that the bicyclist was at fault because of the aforementioned reasons. Given that the WJZ report is dated May 6th, two days after the crash occurred, any information learned or obtained at that point in the investigation would be preliminary observations with no conclusion as to fault. Please understand, how preliminary information is reported by the media or how it is construed by the public is beyond the control of the Police Department.
The police report of public record for this crash indicates, by numeric code, that the bicyclist was not wearing any safety equipment. There is no statement of fault attached to this observation. The report indicates that the bicyclist was traveling north in lane #2 (the center lane) of three northbound lanes (2 northbound lanes and 1 transitional lane for exiting and entering Interstate 695). There is no statement of fault attributed to this finding. The report includes a statement from a witness that heard the truck driver state that the bicyclist must have come up on his blind side. Again, the cyclist was not indicated as being at fault because of this finding. In fact, the police investigative report concludes the truck driver, not the bicyclist, to be at fault for the crash.
As a fellow avid cyclist, having participated in five Cycle Across Maryland (CAM) Tours and numerous Century Rides, I share your concerns about cycling safety and the need for motorists to respect the rights of cyclists. I ensure you of my continuing commitment to traffic safety in Baltimore County for cyclists, as well as pedestrians and motorists. In support of this commitment, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith and I recently announced an initiative to reduce traffic crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists in Baltimore County. This initiative will include three important components: Education, Enforcement and Engineering. The Police Department plans to contribute significantly to the Education and Enforcement components. I regard with interest the current effort of the Maryland State Police to develop curriculum for police officers on Maryland traffic laws relating to cyclists. I would be receptive of exposing our officers to this training.
Thank you for voicing your concerns.
Sincerely,
James W. Johnson
Chief of Police
Sample letter
Dear WJZ,
I respectfully request a correction of your report Pedestrian & Bike Accidents Rise In Baltimore Co. Per Baltimore County Police the accident report shows that it was the truck driver that was found at fault not "The police report shows the truck driver in Tuesday's crash may not be at fault." as you reported. I also take exception to the intermixing of pedestrian crash and at fault statistics in with a story about a bike crash, the two are not related. Putting the two together is highly misleading and the implication is that you are on the same subject when in fact you are not. It is unconscionable in my book during National Bike Month to make such errors. I respectfully request to correct these errors and help make the roads safer for everyone.
Respectfully,
Send to: newsroom@wjz.com
Follow up to: Action Alert: Accidents Involving Pedestrians Rise In Balt. Co.
Related: Let's get everyone on the same page on bike safety OK?
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