Yet ANOTHER Bicyclist killed by a driver

[sgrizzle]

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11025155

TULSA, OK -- Authorities are investigating is a hit and run fatality accident in the 1700 block of Southwest Boulevard.

Tulsa Police and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are on scene.

Police says it appears an adult female bicyclist was struck and killed while riding on an off ramp to Southwest Boulevard from U.S. Highway 75.

Police confirm the victim is a woman in her mid-70's.

OHP has shut down the ramp from U.S. Highway 75 onto Southwest Boulevard because of the accident.

At this point, OHP says the only description of the suspect vehicle is that it is light colored Chevy Suburban.  They say the vehicle was southbound on Southwest Blvd.

[Conan71]

Riding on an off-ramp from the highway...not good.

You've got to respect the cars, no two ways about it.

[buckeye]

Always terrible when somebody dies in a collision.

But good grief, a 70 year-old lady riding a bicycle on 75?  Very poor judgment indeed.  Isn't it also illegal?

[SXSW]

That's why I stick to the river and MV trail. 

[TheTed]

The TW story doesn't mention an off ramp. I'm only somewhat familiar with the area, but by looking at their pictures it looks like it happened on Southwest Blvd itself. There appears to be a yellow line in the middle of a four-lane road where her bicycle is resting.

They say the woman was in her late 50s.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090901_11_0_Afatal155039

Edit: Looks like it was this road immediately west of I-244. It starts out as an off ramp, but it becomes a two-lane frontage road where she was hit and continues for several miles. It's not labeled on google.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=tulsa,+ok&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=v0CdSv-MGI_kNd-WhIIC&ll=36.137485,-96.008137&spn=0.00383,0.006502&z=17&layer=c&cbll=36.137392,-96.00815&panoid=qtrDM-zpRYi3RuuBRn4VmA&cbp=12,201.5,,0,8.71

[TURobY]

The other stories I have read mentioned the BNR access road and Southwest Blvd. Sounds like the driver came whipping around the bend either without paying attention, or without stopping.

[Conan71]

A lot of disinformation so far today, originally this was reported as a woman in her 70's and being on the off-ramp.  Sounds like it was on the south side of 17th St. which would definitely be the access road.  Still not clear to me why she would have been on that road, if she were heading out west, most cyclists take the 21st St. overpass, though I've seen some cut through the refinery streets and come out around Fliintco.

[dbacks fan]

Not an expert, but looking at the photos it looks like she may have been west bound on 17th when the vehicle came down the off ramp. The front wheel of the bike is near the southwest corner of the intersection and the rest of the bike is south of there. The vehicle was then seen on SW Blvd. If they ran the stop sign coming down the ramp, which I have seen people do if they see that a train is crossing there. (Do they still have the blue rotating light on top of a utility pole to signify that there is a train crossing?) Heading south you only have two options, turn into the rail yard, or back out onto SW Blvd by Billy Rays.

It is tragic that people don't pay attention and thing like this happen.

[TheTed]

She was 74.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown said the victim is Beverly Duffield, 74, of Tulsa.

[custosnox]

This is the view from 17th looking south east, seems to be that she was on the frontage road on the south side of 17th, where you would go if you continued straight after getting off of 75.



It was kinda strange when I looked at an article from my "breaking news" email from channel 2, and the banner across the top said "Woman Sentenced for Hit & Run" and directly under that it said "Woman Killed in Hit & Run"

[Conan71]

I've gotten confirmation from a cycling buddy that she was a regular on the Weds. night training rides and long time member of the Tulsa Bicycling Club so she was very experienced with a bike. 

[kylieosu]

They caught the guy. Good news.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11025155

[dbacks fan]

They caught the guy. Good news.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11025155

+1 for the Good Guys.

[Townsend]

They caught the guy. Good news.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11025155

Roberto Alvelais-Torres,28, was arrested.  He is being held on charges of felony leaving the scene of a fatal accident. His SUV was found at 31st and Southwest Boulevard. He is an undocumented alien.

The comment section of the Tulsa World is going to go bonkers.

[RecycleMichael]

We need to urge the community to remain calm.