Friday, July 4, 2008

Danny Fadgen hit while cycling with wife Jane in Germantown

Hi y'all.

For anyone who knows or cares about Jane and Danny Fadgen, this is very important.

Two sources - the first is from the Commercial Appeal, the next is from WMC TV.


http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jul/04/police-report-070408/

Bicyclist hit; driver charged

A 47-year-old bicyclist was hurt early Thursday morning when he was hit by a car on Germantown Road near Wolf River Bridge.

Germantown Police Lt. Mike Gray said Daniel Fadgen,47, of Germantown, was listed in stable condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis late Thursday afternoon.

Gray said Fadgen was riding on the shoulder of the road with his wife, traveling north on Germantown Road, when he was hit by a Toyota Camry driven by Thomas Ruffin, 26, of Cordova.

Capt. Alan Keller said the driver continued on after the crash but later returned to the scene. Police charged Ruffin with failure to maintain a safe lookout, failure to notify police of an accident immediately and proof of auto insurance.

-- Lela Garlington


http://www.wmcstations.com/global/story.asp?s=8619095&ClientType=Printable

Mid-South aquatics instructor injured riding bike

Updated: July 3, 2008 09:36 PM

A well-known Mid-South swim coach is in the hospital. The aquatics instructor broke his back while riding his bike early Thursday morning.

The crash happened on Germantown Parkway, near the Wolf River bridge

Danny Fadgen is now home recovering from a broken back and thankful to be alive. His crash highlights the dangers bikers in the mid south face.

What may be just as disturbing is the police response to it all.

At Bikes Plus in Germantown, it is one of the few businesses booming in the economic slow down.

The high price of gas is making pedal power popular. Just ask Jane Fadgen.

"I'm traveling 100 miles each week and saw an opportunity to not only save money but get a little fitness in also," Fadgen said.

Thursday Morning Danny was riding with his wife as she commuted to Saint Francis Hospital in Bartlett. When they came to the bridge overlooking the Wolf River on Germantown Parkway, it was 4:45 in the morning. There were not any cars around.

Then his wife heard an awful sound she'll never forget.

"Terrible crash. It sounded like a car coming through a brick wall," Fadgen said.

But it was not a wall the car hit. It was Danny Fadgen. Breaking his back and landing him at the med.

"I started screaming couldn't even hear over my own screaming," Jane Fadgen said.

The driver did not stop when he hit Fadgen. He eventually came back.

According to this Germantown police report, officers stated the 26 year old driver was not the owner of the car, his car insurance was expired, and yet he was still not given a test for drugs and alcohol even after hitting a biker with the car. Instead he was given a moving violation.

"Literally a slap on the wrist a ticket, if that. So there is no zero tolerance." Jane Fadgen said.

Danny Fadgen is expected to be okay, but he hopes Mid-South law enforcement and lawmakers will do more for the cycling community.

A community that is growing bigger everyday.


Click here to e-mail reporter Andrew Douglas.

3 comments:

tom said...

Perhaps fellow commuters should ride to the Germantown Parkway bridge over the Wolf River to raise awareness, maybe as part of Critical Mass ?

Cliff H. said...

Or perhaps we should start a Ghost Bike program like this one:

http://www.ghostbikes.org/

Karnick said...

never heard of it though..