Abilene community sees increase in vehicle & pedestrian/cyclist accidents

Tobin Smith
·2 min read

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — The Abilene community is seeing an increase in accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists.

In the past few weeks, there have been several incidents related to vehicles striking either a pedestrian or a cyclist, with two of them being fatal. With the heightened reports of these types of accidents happening in a short amount of time, it makes one wonder… what’s going on in Abilene?

UPDATE: Fatal vehicle-bicycle collision in South Abilene

Three separate incidents occurred just a few short hours apart on the evening of March 13th. Nathan Kranz has a daily routine of walking with his dog Penny, and with these incidents becoming so frequent, he is less enthusiastic about participating in his other hobbies.

“I have thought about taking my bike over to some country roads where there’s a little less driving, but I just don’t feel comfortable on any of these city streets. It’s more of a training thing than an incapability,” Kranz shared.

Vehicle & bicyclist crash in central Abilene, 1 taken to hospital

Jim MacDonald is the owner of Bike Town and is an avid cyclist. He outlined some of the best ways for cyclists to make their presence known when out on the streets.

“Number 1: Wear a helmet. 2: Get some lighting on your bicycle. You DO need lighting at night in order to be legal. Yes, that’s important to recognize. If you’re a bicycle, you are a vehicle on the road. If you’re a driver on the road, you know how hard it is to sometimes see pedestrians or cyclists who are out there. A lot of times, cars don’t always see you. It’s not that they’re not looking for you, but sometimes they just can’t see you,” MacDonald explained.

Vehicle & Bird Scooter collide in West Abilene

If you choose to ride a bicycle, it is important to follow the same rules as motor vehicle drivers do. This includes riding with the flow of traffic on the roadways and not against it, refraining from using the sidewalks and obeying traffic signals and signs. As for drivers, it is crucial to stay focused on the road, as most of these incidents happen due to distracted driving.

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