WASHBURN, Maine – A bicyclist competing in a race on Parsons Road suffered serious injury Sunday when he collided with a pickup truck about halfway through the 14-mile event, police and the race’s organizer said.
Thad Lavallee, 38, was about a mile from race mile marker No. 7 when the crash occurred at about 2:30 p.m. He appeared to suffer a deep cut to his leg that ran about eight inches long, plus scrapes and a cut to his forehead, said Mark Fullen, organizer of the Maine Time Trial Series and manager of Mojo, an outdoor sporting goods shop on Main Street.
A worker at The Aroostook Medical Center declined to comment on Lavallee’s condition. She referred comment to a hospital administrator who said that Lavallee had yet to sign a consent form authorizing the release of his condition.
Witnesses told Fullen that the pickup truck, a Ford F-150, broadsided Lavallee as he rode by the gravel driveway the truck was coming from.
However, Washburn police Officer Roy Guidry said witnesses he interviewed told him that the accident occurred because Lavallee struck the pickup truck head on. Witnesses he interviewed say the truck was parked facing southbound and Lavalle was riding northbound.
“He hit the grille right dead smack on. The damage to the truck is in the dead center of the grille right in the license plate and grille area. That is consistent with a narrow strike like the bike hitting the center of the pickup truck,” Guidry said. “A broadside would have been completely different.”
All of the bike damage was in the front of the bicycle, adding credence to the thought that the bike struck the pickup truck head on, Guidry said. He said he has yet to determine whether the pickup truck was parked or moving.
The driver of the pickup truck, Kenneth Ayotte, 53, of Presque Isle, told Guidry that he was stopped at the end of the driveway where the accident occurred. The accident was at the corner of Hale and Parsons Road in Washburn, about three miles from the Presque Isle town line.
Despite his injuries, Lavallee managed to joke with two riders who stopped to help him, Fullen said.
“Now you can leave and beat me,” Lavallee reportedly told rider Von Perry of Easton, Fullen said.
Perry and another rider, Rosemary Williams, gave Lavallee a blanket, shaded him and tended to his wounds as best they could until an ambulance arrived, Fullen said. Lavallee registered for the race as a
resident of Sharon, but Fullen said he heard that Lavallee was an out-of-towner.
Guidry said an initial check of Lavalle’s residence indicated that he was from South Portland.
Parsons Road starts at Mechanic, Dyer and State streets in downtown Presque Isle and continues north and west to Brewer Thomas Park in Washburn.
Fullen expressed regret about the crash, saying it was the first serious accident in the six years that Mojo has sponsored or helped organize the annual race, which had about 25 riders. The shop also organizes rides on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in good-weather months, he said.
“I am disappointed. We ride that road all the time,” Fullen said. “That is the road we use every single Monday. They [residents and motorists] know that we are there. It is my favorite road because people are so conscious of bicyclists.”
“I really have to hope that this was just a random accident. I don’t think it was anything on purpose,” Fullen added.
Anyone with information about the accident, or who saw it, is asked to call Guidry at 455-4043. His investigation is continuing.
I am very sorry the cyclist got hurt and I am not saying this was the case here but I find many a times that when I come upon someone on a bicycle that do not move over the least little bit and that you sometimes have to practically leave the road to avoid hitting them. They tend to go right up the middle of the road and refuse to move the slightest bit. I have encoutered that many a times as a driver and come very concerned with the person on the bike as I can just picture where and accident is bound to happen. I wish the injured biker well and hope that he has a speedy recovery and hope that something like this doesnt’happen again.
I am with you Katahdingirl they don’t move over at all.
I have been driving that Parsons road for years and to be honest I hate to meet the bikers. Yes I know that we are supposed to share the road but they don’t own it! And to be honest I am surprised there hasn’t been an accident before now. I know where this accident happened and the guy from Mojo’s doesn’t have all the facts. Unless Presque Isle police department now covers Washburn. And after talking to the guys that were there that truck was facing Presque Isle but not moving and the biker hit the truck. I wish the guy a speedy recovery
Nor do you own the road. You can’t slow down and give a person on a bike a break? What’s your rush? What’s it take, maybe 30 seconds? How about getting yourself out of your SUV and get yourself a bike and smell the roses? Too lazy? Too outta shape? With folks thinking like you, I am surprised there are so few accidents. A great big car against a bike and you can’t cut them slack. Yer a real sweetheart.
I don’t drive fast and not in a rush but it’s a very busy road and I don’t like to meet them. I have almost been rearended because I slow way down and stay behind the bikes. When I bike or walk I use the Nordic trails or the bike path because it’s more enjoyable.
The bike path and Nordic are way too short for road bikes and you don’t get a good workout on that. Unfortunately not all the roads have wide shoulders to ride on. Even when there are wide shoulders many drivers will drive ever so close to prove a point (especially trailer truck drivers). I’m obviously not talking about every driver out there but if you want to put a decent amount of miles on your bike a day you have to hit the road and bikers AND drivers need a mutual respect for each other.
Bicycles are traffic. They have as much right to the road as a car or a pickup or a Hummer does. Bicycles don’t ask to own the road, they only ask for as much respect on the road as a driver would give any other authorized vehicle. Just because they’re not going as fast as you are, do they deserve less consideration? Are you in so much of a hurry that you would risk killing another human being on an alternate means of transportation because they’re in your way? Would you drive a walker off the road? Jeez, people. Slow down. Share the road for real.
Well since you say that bicycles are traffic, then all riders over that age of 18 should have to license them and have insurance on them in case they cause an accident. I risk my life every time I have to go around one of these yahoo that won’t give an inch
It’s your own fault if you put yourself in danger. You should wait until it’s safe to pass.
I would gladly register and insure my bike if I had to. I imagine insurance would cost $20 dollars a year.
I am almost certain the Washburn police responded and not Presque Isle.. The Washburn cop went flying by here about the time of this accident and was headed there..
The original news posting said the Presque Isle police responded. I was just pointing out one of the errors in the original story.
How about slowing down until it’s safe to pass? Ever think of that?
I do slow down and have been very very patient with them.. I do everything I possibly can not to endanger the bikers. I am just saying that I have seen a few that do things that endanger themselves.
the man is a very talented athlete and this is horrible no matter what the circumstances, lets all wish him a speedy recovery and save the judgement.
All I can say is BS to the person who mentioned training wheels – really???? This is a man who has done countless races, rides and time trials and has several thousand (yes thousands) of dollars in the equipment he rides alone! This cyclist was NOT the only rider on that road – every 30 seconds another rider was sent out on the course – the total of 25 riders, and the person driving the vehicle…please..wide open space, plenty of visability for both cyclist and driver but somehow the man on the bike managed to “hit” a parked vehicle…yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause…. Yes, we need all the information on this before pointing fingers, but anytime a cyclist is on the road – he is TRAFFIC, and should be awarded all the rights of any moving vehicle….a person on a bike might be your son the next time…think about that.
Speculating and pointing fingers is what this forum is for…LOL…
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The article indicates that the cyclist was through-traffic and the pickup truck was possibly coming out of a driveway. In this situation the cyclist would definitely have the right of way, no question.But if the truck was parked…we would have to know more about how recently it had been moving and other details. More likely operator error by the cyclist.
I don’t know how windy it was upta the county today but it was blowing pretty good on the coast. Racing bicycles for time trials often have frame and wheel designs that make them very aeordynamic in the forward direction of travel but extremely aero-resistant from the sides. Aero-handlebar positioning, not allowed in regular mass start races, reduces steering leverage making control more difficult. It is very easy to imagine how even an experienced TT rider could be blown across a lane by an unexpected crosswind, possibly into the path of an oncoming or parked vehicle. As a cyclist I am curious to hear the final details of this unfortunate incident.
Was he texting ??? LOL Just kidding…Seriously though.. How can you not see a parked pickup ???Perhaps he thought it was moving and figured the truck was gonna move over to avoid him like most bikers I see on the road..They feel as if they own it…
you know this bike thing is really getting out of hand. They use this road because of the winding and curves it has which is not the best situation for them. I live on this road and they are a hazard to everyone out there. There is a reason why they made a training facitity here in town and they don’t want to use it for races. They are rude and ignorant to the rights of other and I have seen this first hand on more than one occasion. I don’t care what anyone says, the roads were made for cars and these people are just going to keeping pointing their fingers at the vehicles on the road……Let’s just wait and see who ran into who. The drive their heads to the ground and just watch the pavement and they wonder why they get into accidents……….Just a matter of time for another kisses the payment. Oh, and by the way Parsons Road does not start at the intersection it starts at Ben’s Trading business, that’s Parsons Street. I hope they don’t ever ride this road again and I know this is wishful thinking on my part. And since when do they have the right to use spray paint on the roads for their “stop and start lines?” Woohoo this guy is a good rider who cares. I know my son and daughter have beed taught that cars are to be feared and watched at all times.
This was a RACE they do not ride single file
I learned a bicyclist or a person walking has the right of way learned from experience after paying a fine,probation and for bicycle parts !! charged for driving to endanger so remember this before you hit one hope it never happens !! So if it happens make sure it is not your fault !
Second case of a bike hitting a vehicle in less than a week.
Once again:
The majority of bike riders do not follow traffic laws.
The majority of bike riders do not stay to the side of the road.
The majority of bike riders impede motorized traffic.
Groups of bicyclists on our roads do not save gas because the motorized traffic must respond to their presence and this uses more fuel. Every time a line of vehicles must stop, slow, or go around a bike it takes extra gasoline to do so.
Bicyclists should be licensed.
Bicycles should be registered, inspected, and taxed just as motor vehicles are.Contrary to claims made by pro-bicycle groups, roads were built to promote commerce not to give bike riders a place to ride.Road laws governing bicycles should be modified to disallow riding side by side and bikes should be required to pull over and stop when a vehicle is passing them.There should be an minimum age that a bicyclist can get their license to ride. Allowing young children on the same roads as motorized traffic is ridiculous in the extreme.
Your post is ridiculous in the extreme.
The majority of your statements are false.
Extreme butthurt can get in the way of reason.
BS
This was a RACE they do not ride single file
Most bikers who race, must have their bikes inspected. Also, we allow 15 and 16 year old kids to drive a vehicle weighing a ton or so, but we cannot as a society give just a little? I don’t agree with riding side by side and I do keep to within 18 inches of the white line, but people are just rude when they are in a vehicle, beside, if you have to follow a biker for a short moment prior to passing, it is no different than say, waiting while driving behind the State snow plow truck.
You are sorely mistaken on several accounts here. A bicyclist has just as much right to be on the road as a motor vehicle does. “Bikes should be required to pull over and STOP when a vehicle is passing them.” You are not only sorely mistaken, you’re quite far from the mainstream. With the exception of those few riders who don’t ride with traffic, all of my cycle friends obey the same laws a vehicle does including staying way to the right (unless you’re about to hit a pothole or a pile of sand/gravel). I suspect you’re a right winger who also also doesn’t believe in staying healthy but wants ‘health insurance’ to cover your sorry be-hind due to ailments caused by your lack of awareness or irresponsibility.
I’ve been riding in Maine for about 30 years and stick as close to the edge as I can. But you have to remember that what you find on the edges of many Maine roads are real hazards to bicycles. Bumps, gravel, and debris that a car wouldn’t think anything of can be a major hazard to a bicycle. As Maine roads keep getting worse, it is harder and harder to find a place where you can easily ride the edge of the road. I am sometimes travelling 20 miles an hour, even faster down hill, and patched potholes and gravel can wipe me out, so the worse the roads the more I ride in a little, there just isn’t any choice. And no matter how good a rider, they aren’t going to ride six inches from the edge of the road any more than you would ride six inches from a guard rail, it doesn’t give you enough distance for normal movement on the road.
I fully agree bicycles shouldn’t be in the middle of the road unless they have to (and I’ve had to sometimes to find clear road) just don’t expect them to hug the edges either that isn’t safe either.
650 to 750 bicyclists die in bicycle-motorist accidents each year (US). Couldn’t find any that listed a motorist killed when their car was hit by a bicycle, but I imagine there is a case out there somewhere. When 2000 pounds of car hits a 30 pound bike, the bike always loses.
And for the die hard bike haters, just so you know, bicyclers get ticketed just like cars. For speeding (it happens), for running stop signs or lights. Or yes, for going the wrong way down a street.
And in a society that continues to get obese and continues to use fossil fuel to drive everywhere, bicycling is a responsible and needed part of our community. I just miss my years in Texas when I could bike ride 12 months out of the year.
This weekend I was driving along Rt.73 in St. George and there appeared to be a bicycle race going on. These bikers were riding side by side 3 bikes wide and taking half the road, not even paying attention to the traffic around them. I managed to get past them and a couple hundred feet down the road I almost hit another bikers when he swerved right in front of me. I honked the horn to let him know he was about to get hit and he swerved out of the way just in time. I had a vehicle coming from the other lane and nowhere to go. I’m just glad my truck didn’t hurt the guy. I was driving 35 mph in a 50 mph zone trying to get by these jokers without one of them running into me. No common sense and apparently no consideration of anybody else that was on the road. It is like they do not understand that cars and trucks can kill them if they collide.
This was a RACE they do not ride single file
Completely understood. Does that give them the right to put their lives and the lives of motorists in unnecessary danger? Like I said, there was little common sense or respect for others on the road from some of these bicyclists.
I’m very glad that I’m not in the headlines too along with some injured or dead bicyclist, considering the man swerved his bike right in front of me for no apparent reason and was almost hit. Scared the beJesus out of me.
When you come up behind a slow car, do you feel forced to drive into oncoming traffic to get around them? NO! You pass when it is safe (hopefully). According to the law, you are to treat a bicyclist as a slow car. That means when you come up behind them, they are not required to get out of your way. They ARE required to stay as far to the right as is practical…please keep in mind what previous poster said about broken pavement, debris, etc being a hazard to bicycles, especially things that a noncyclist wouldn’t have to worry about driving a car.
Honestly, if we just invested in decent bike lanes, we’d all be happier….and safer!
Exactly. Fact of the matter is, people are so rushed today that they get annoyed to get slowed down for 20 seconds in their busy lives. The majority of these posts show the real problem, clearly those in cars don’t know the laws and don’t know how to behave properly on the roads with cyclists or others.
There should of been sign posted at people at intersection to stop traffic like i said they are in a race how would you do that race ?
all i have to say is….i now live in southern maine where cyclist are a pain in the ass..they DO NOT obey ANY laws as far as traffic. they ride in the middle of the road and CAUSE accidents. all you cyclist that cried and moaned about not having any place to ride..we gave you BIKE PATHS that stretch from one end to the other and what do you have to do?? RIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY RT. ONE!! they are the rudest ppl i’ve ever come across. i don’t give a crap if you’re an AMAZING athlete..get out of the way so ppl who actually live and WORK here can get to their jobs.
This was a RACE they do not ride single file
This was a time trial where they most definitely DO ride single file.
Hey, if you want to pave a bike path from my front door to my office, I’d love to use it. In the mean time, I’ll continue my two-wheeled commute on the road.
Road bikes an off road bike are totally diffrent
Since you speak in superlative generalizations you can only be wrong.
I don’t know why the State hasn’t outlawed packs of bikes. People get hurt and it bungs up traffic.
Its a race !! they are not out for a joy ride
Which brings up the point , are “races” legal ?? It sure isn’t for cars and bikes have to follow the same rules…
If they were not legal than the police would of shut them down
All of you people posting about road bikers cruising in the middle of the road are just so dishonest. Maybe you’ve seen a bike in the middle of the road from time to time, but it’s probably some kid. Anyone who takes biking seriously knows the laws and respects them. Who in their right mind would ride in the middle, and have to deal with careless drivers coming in both directions?? Be real, people.
I take it you haven’t driven around the Belfast/Camden area much have you…I see packs all the time , 3 and 4 wide in groups of 10 or more..And they won’t move over till I blow the horn which ALWAYS brings the middle finger salute..Classy bunch….You get REAL…
I will never understand the appeal of road biking. I will stick to single track in the woods where I won’t get run into by someone on their phone.