Cyclist dies days after being hit by car door in St. Paul, police say
A 69-year-old cyclist died days after he was struck by an open car door in St. Paul, Minnesota, late last month, according to police.
The collision happened on the 1600 block of Highland Parkway on the afternoon of June 27, the St. Paul Police Department said.
A driver parked her car and opened her door to leave it, hitting the bicyclist, police said.
The victim, identified as Ricki Larson, suffered a head injury and was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was removed from life support on Friday.
The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. She was not cited or arrested, according to a police report.
"Dooring" is a major fear for bicyclists
Larson's death is prompting renewed reminders for drivers and cyclists to stay alert around parked vehicles.
Minnesota law states drivers must make sure it's safe before opening a vehicle door: "No person shall open any door on a motor vehicle unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic."
Erik Noonan, communications manager for the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, said bicyclists are allowed to use the full lane for several reasons, including avoiding hazards such as an opening car door, which he calls "dooring."
"Such as what happened in St. Paul with Ricki Larson, most likely that bicyclist is going to end up injured or worse," Noonan said.
The "Dutch reach"
Safety advocates like Noonan say one simple habit can help reduce the risk, called the "Dutch reach."
"Basically, you're sitting in the driver's seat and, here in the U.S., you take your right hand and you reach across to open the door," Noonan said. "And what that forces you to do is to turn your body such that you're more likely to catch a glance at that rear view, that side view mirror, to see if there is oncoming traffic before you open that door."
Ward Rubrecht, a Twin Cities cyclist and online bicycle safety advocate known as "bike_lane_bill" on Reddit, said he supports the "Dutch reach," but believes preventing crashes ultimately comes down to driver awareness.
"There's just a general inattentiveness in drivers that causes most of these problems," Rubrecht said. "Handling a deadly machine, in my mind, is a sacred duty. I grew up in a gun household, and we were held to very strict standards of conduct when handling firearms. Given how deadly cars are, I can't imagine handling them with any less care than a gun."
And for cyclists, staying visible and giving yourself space away from parked cars can also help reduce the risk.
"One-hundred percent of your attention and care should be devoted to safe handling of your car from the time you open your car door to the time you close your car door," Rubrecht said. "There's just not any excuse for anything less."
