by Marcus Washington
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two bicyclists are hit by vehicles within four days here in the mid-state.
Teaching someone to drive can often times be a trying situation, even for veteran Brentwood Driver Training instructor Jeremy Lyon.
From new drivers like 16-year-old Alec McDowell, to people with decades of experience; knowing the rules of the road have been forgotten or just ignored.
In less than a week two cyclists have been hit by drivers in cars and SUVs.
Saturday morning in Murfreesboro, surveillance video caught the driver of a SUV run a cyclist over from behind. The driver never stopped and left the driver there to die.
Three days later Sky 5 HD captured video of another vehicle vs. cyclist, this time in Nashville.
"I've [messed-up] a few wheels trying to get off 21st. going on the curb trying to get out of some impatient person's way," said cyclist Lars Thorson.
One thing many drivers may not know is when you see a bicyclist; they don't have to ride in the emergency or side lines. Riders of bicycles have every right as you do as a driver of a vehicle, to ride in any lane.
"Don't expect them to be hugging the road down that space, because that space is not for bicycle. It's just a space," said Lyon.
Thorson says, "I do my best to stay on the far right of the lane or in the shoulder if there is somebody behind me. If not, I will go in the middle."
As for Tony Murrell, he says as a firefighter he's seen too many bad situations; so he sticks to the green way.
"Yeah it is scary, because with cars or people drinking or texting or just doing anything. That lane is not protected if a car swings over or comes in that lane, they can hit bicyclist easily," said Murrell.
Lyons says, "Right now I believe that the bicyclist and the automobile treat it more like a battle for the space as oppose to trying to share the same space."
There are plans in Metro Nashville to add more bicycle lanes for the safety of cyclists.
As for the man hit by that SUV on Saturday in Murfreesboro, his condition has been upgraded to stable.
