Cyclists injured in road rage incident
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Danney Ball
Jun 8, 2005, 11:13:36 PM6/8/05
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Cyclists injured in road rage incident
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
By Brittani Johnson
Two bicyclists were injured after being
run off the road in an alleged road rage incident near Fiddletown on
Saturday.
The married couple was part of a group of 2,000 bicyclists in a 104 mile ride known as the Sierra Century. This is the Sacramento Wheelmen’s signature ride. Months of planning and advertising are put into making it a reality. Bicyclists from all over California and Nevada flock to this event. It attracts several international riders, including one from Malaysia.
And for the most part, the careful planning of the club has kept the riders safe. Until this year that is, according to Ride Director Ralph LeMeur.
“We’ve had a few motorists yell at us [in the past], but this year was by far the worst,” he said.
Jan and Doug Johnson were enjoying their first Sierra Century tour. During the last stretch of their ride, a pickup truck allegedly came alongside Jan as she was riding and attempted to run her off the road.
They succeeded in “nudging” her off the road, causing her to fall into some rocks, LeMeur said. Doug raced after the man, catching up with the truck shortly thereafter. Pulling alongside the driver’s side, Johnson yelled into the window that the man had injured his wife and he needed to pull over.
In response, the driver allegedly yanked his steering wheel to the left, forcing Johnson off the road into a pile of barbed wire. Doug got back onto his bicycle and rode back to where his wife was, who was then being cared for by other bicyclists who were riding behind the couple.
The Johnsons were then taken back to the Amador County Fairgrounds, which had been rented by the Sacramento Wheelmen as their home base during the ride. Doug suffered a puncture wound on his leg and was bleeding profusely at the time, Le Meur said. Jan received nine stitches in her arm.
Doug had gotten the man’s license plate number while he was driving away and was able to give it to the California Highway Patrol. A few hours later they apprehended the driver.
As of press time, however, the CHP was unavailable to provide comment on the situation.
“I really don’t understand the hostility [this man showed],” said Jan. “Cyclists have their own courtesy they have to abide by while on the road and motorists need to understand that we have a right to be on the road.”
The Sacramento Wheelmen Club is not quite sure what to make of the situation.
“We put up road signs; we put in a full page ad in the paper to alert people of the upcoming race,” said LeMeur, “We really do everything we know how to alert the people and support the community the best we can.
“Amador County is trying to build it’s tourism base and we’re trying to aid that as best we can,” he continued.
“We work hard at supporting the county.”
One of the safety precautions that is used by the Sacramento Wheelmen is putting up signs with arrows on them to direct the bicyclists as they travel. This year someone allegedly took black paint and changed the arrows, causing the riders to take the wrong way.
“And that can’t happen because it’s extremely dangerous,” said LeMeur.
Despite all of these happenings, the ride was fairly successful LeMeur said. Jan still feels as though this was one of the safest and well organized bicycling activities she and her husband have participated in.
“The entire time I felt safe and well protected,” Jan said. “I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
 |
| Doug and Jan Johnson, shortly after they were run off the road near Fiddletown. |
| Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch |
The married couple was part of a group of 2,000 bicyclists in a 104 mile ride known as the Sierra Century. This is the Sacramento Wheelmen’s signature ride. Months of planning and advertising are put into making it a reality. Bicyclists from all over California and Nevada flock to this event. It attracts several international riders, including one from Malaysia.
And for the most part, the careful planning of the club has kept the riders safe. Until this year that is, according to Ride Director Ralph LeMeur.
“We’ve had a few motorists yell at us [in the past], but this year was by far the worst,” he said.
Jan and Doug Johnson were enjoying their first Sierra Century tour. During the last stretch of their ride, a pickup truck allegedly came alongside Jan as she was riding and attempted to run her off the road.
They succeeded in “nudging” her off the road, causing her to fall into some rocks, LeMeur said. Doug raced after the man, catching up with the truck shortly thereafter. Pulling alongside the driver’s side, Johnson yelled into the window that the man had injured his wife and he needed to pull over.
In response, the driver allegedly yanked his steering wheel to the left, forcing Johnson off the road into a pile of barbed wire. Doug got back onto his bicycle and rode back to where his wife was, who was then being cared for by other bicyclists who were riding behind the couple.
The Johnsons were then taken back to the Amador County Fairgrounds, which had been rented by the Sacramento Wheelmen as their home base during the ride. Doug suffered a puncture wound on his leg and was bleeding profusely at the time, Le Meur said. Jan received nine stitches in her arm.
Doug had gotten the man’s license plate number while he was driving away and was able to give it to the California Highway Patrol. A few hours later they apprehended the driver.
As of press time, however, the CHP was unavailable to provide comment on the situation.
“I really don’t understand the hostility [this man showed],” said Jan. “Cyclists have their own courtesy they have to abide by while on the road and motorists need to understand that we have a right to be on the road.”
The Sacramento Wheelmen Club is not quite sure what to make of the situation.
“We put up road signs; we put in a full page ad in the paper to alert people of the upcoming race,” said LeMeur, “We really do everything we know how to alert the people and support the community the best we can.
“Amador County is trying to build it’s tourism base and we’re trying to aid that as best we can,” he continued.
“We work hard at supporting the county.”
One of the safety precautions that is used by the Sacramento Wheelmen is putting up signs with arrows on them to direct the bicyclists as they travel. This year someone allegedly took black paint and changed the arrows, causing the riders to take the wrong way.
“And that can’t happen because it’s extremely dangerous,” said LeMeur.
Despite all of these happenings, the ride was fairly successful LeMeur said. Jan still feels as though this was one of the safest and well organized bicycling activities she and her husband have participated in.
“The entire time I felt safe and well protected,” Jan said. “I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
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