Motorist Sideswipes Bicyclist on State Road 159 Shoulder In Red Rock Canyon Outside Summerlin Sunday Morning

Originally published by By ALAN SNEL on LVSportsBiz.com
Read it here: https://lvsportsbiz.com/2018/07/08/motorist-sideswipes-bicyclist-on-state-road-159-shoulder-in-red-rock-canyon-outside-summerlin-sunday-morning/

It was not even 7 a.m. Sunday when I was bicycling the popular State Road 159 (West Charleston Boulevard) to the Red Rock scenic loop when I came upon two bicyclists, a motorist, two state trooper vehicles and a state ranger car on the shoulder about two miles out of town.

A motorist from Indiana had veered onto the road’s shoulder and sideswiped one of the bicyclists and the state troopers were handling the report.

I spoke with both bicyclists to see if they were OK. They were two friendly guys named Oscar, who was sideswiped by the person driving the car, and Tony. Both work in the health field at local hospitals.

Oscar said the motorist drove his car so close to him that he drove the car into the shoulder and the car’s side mirror struck him while the side of the car near the back also hit him.

But Oscar said he was OK and both he and his buddy Tony were preparing to bike back into Summerlin.

This could have been a horrible tragedy as a person drove his car onto the shoulder — the pavement we bicyclists believe is a safe haven from the motorists who typically pass us going at least 50 mph and usually faster as we bike on Nevada 159 in Red Rock Canyon outside Summerlin.

Oscar said the driver obviously violated the three-foot law that requires motorists to pass bicyclists by a minimum distance of three feet.

Oscar also said motorists need to be better educated and trained so they understand how to drive with bicyclists on our roadways.