A cyclist thought he could make it home faster if he tried to hitch a ride on the back of a dump truck. However, the very dangerous stunt didn’t last long as a Washington State Patrol trooper stopped him. Thankfully, that happened before his great idea resulted in a bicycle accident.
According to several local news sources, the 33-year-old cyclist was trying to make his way to Belfair Tuesday morning on his bike. In order to get to his destination a bit faster, he climbed on the back of a dump truck traveling on Highway 3, carrying his bike along. That’s when a WSP trooper spotted the man.
The rider told officials the Kitsap County Jail released him and that he was trying to get home to his family quickly. While he rode the bike to Gorst, he noticed the dump truck towing a small trailer. He then thought that, perhaps, he could hitch a ride. While holding his bicycle, he planted his feet on the tongue of the trailer, holding on to it while trying to hold on to his bike. Eventually, the bike slipped from the man’s hand, going under the wheels of the trailer. That’s when the trooper pulled over the truck near Bremerton National Airport.
Authorities were shocked anyone would try to take such dangerous steps to get home.
While one trooper gave the man a ride home a second officials retrieved the bike, bringing it to Belfair later.
In this case, troopers were both touched and amazed that someone would go to these lengths to get home to their loved ones so they didn’t cite the man. However, they remind riders out there that this type of behavior will lead to citations and yes, accidents. Potentially serious ones.
Bicycle Riders Have A Responsibility To Avoid Accidents
While most bicycle accidents happen because drivers are oblivious and fail to properly share the road, riders have a responsibility to follow traffic rules to avoid crashes.
When riding your bike, you must do so defensively, remembering that you, too, can avoid accidents by being alert.
The rider in this incident put himself in a very dangerous situation by jumping on the back of a dump truck, but oftentimes, bicycle riders also expose themselves to danger by holding on to the back of other much faster vehicles so they can ride faster. Needless to say, this is a bad idea, as higher speeds can cause the rider to lose control over his bicycle.
Avoid accidents by acting responsibly.
