One afternoon in March 2025, in broad daylight, Kenneth Oshell was riding his bicycle on Louisiana 23 in Plaquemines Parish. A Ford that was following him in the same lane of traffic eventually collided with the back of the bicycle, causing Oshell to be ejected. Oshell died of injuries he suffered in the collision. He was 72 years old. The driver of the car was not injured; according to news reports, he was wearing a seatbelt and was not under the influence of alcohol. As of the time of publication of the most recent news reports about the incident, Oshell took every precaution to avoid an accident. He was wearing brightly colored clothes, and his bicycle had a blinking light.
Cars can go a lot faster than bikes, and they are much heavier, so no matter how cautious you are when riding your bicycle, there is still a chance of a car hitting you. The chances of severe injuries are considerable if a car hits your bike, even if the car was not traveling very fast. If you were hit by a car in the same lane of traffic while you were riding your bicycle, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.
How Bicyclists Can Make Themselves More Visible to Motorists
A collision between a car and a bicycle is almost always bad news for the bicyclists, so bicyclists should do everything possible to stay out of the way of cars. This is easy enough if you only ride your bike for fun. There will not be any cars nearby if you are riding on a bike trail in a state park where alligators outnumber humans. Likewise, if you are just riding around in your neighborhood, and you are lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where sidewalks are plentiful, you will be safe as long as you stay on the sidewalk and the cars stay on the road.
The biggest benefits of bikes, both for your health and for the environment, come when you use your bike the way that other people use their cars, which means riding on roads open to vehicular traffic. You should ride in a bike lane if there is one. Not all roads have bike lanes, though, so making your bike visible can help cars stay a safe distance away from you. Wearing colorful clothing, or even better, a jacket and helmet with reflective strips of fabric, will make it easier for motorists to see you from a distance. Reflectors on your bike are good, but flashing strobe lights are even better. You can even decorate your whole bike with lights to make it stand out even more when you ride at night.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Personal Injury Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you were hit by a car while riding your bicycle on a road where cars also drive. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.
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