Helmets, bike riding, semi-trucks, wheel chocks and other Iowa personal injury news

I posted a month or so ago about a woman I saw riding a Harley-Davidson and how it seemed to be too much bike for a woman her size, age and physical strength to be driving. An incident occurred this past weekend that once again reminds us riders need to stay within their physical abilities.

When You're Over 50 How Much Bike is Too Much?

A woman from Toledo, Iowa, age 53 was riding a bike at Ledges State Park when the bike apparently went out of control causing her to strike a tree. Apparently the head injuries she suffered caused her death.

It’s important to ride within your physical limits and as we age we get less physically fit and our reflexes slow. We need to do the same.

In other news a semi-truck driver allegedly fell asleep causing his semi-truck to go out-of-control and overturn. The driver was 69-years-of-age and on I-35 heading north when it happened at around 9:30 a.m. Iowa Interstate 35 northbound was closed or slowed for nearly five hours while they unloaded, then righted and towed the truck away. The driver was uninjured.

A man in McGregor, Iowa died as the truck trailer he and some others were working on rolled over him. The utility trailer was hooked to a pickup truck. It’s not clear if the trailer wheels were chocked, if the parking brake was on or why he was in a position where he could be crushed. His name is Brent Blietz, 24-years-old. There is no mention of whether he has a wife and children. Our condolences go out to the extended family. This is an extension of the previous post about OSHA or IOSH fining the trucking company $9,000 for not using the brakes and wheel chocks that allowed the truck to roll and pinning Mr. Brian Cellar, killing him. Safety knows nothing about age. Chock the wheels and set the parking brake; I dare say both accidents may have been preventable.

Back to bikes, apparently tensions are on the rise with plans to add a bike lane to Ingersoll and Urbandale avenues in Des Moines. Just discussing the issue hasn’t generated enough support for city leaders, so if you want it say so. I have to wonder, what’s the big deal with sharing the roads? After all we aren’t New Delhi, India.

State of Iowa budget crisis is again in the news; did it ever leave the news? To determine how to save money the State of Iowa spent more money on 20 efficiency studies since 1990. The most recent study group was or will be paid $300,000 telling the state how to save money and run more efficiently. Had Governor Culver asked me I would have told him for only $150,000. It’s a little known trick my mother taught me that not many people know. It’s really pretty simple, you just stop spending money. Chet please send a check to my office $150,000 and include Barbara’s name on the check. The Republican version is a little different than the Democrats; they simply blame the Democrats for spending too much while they also spend too much.

A West Des Moines residence caught fire in a sauna room at the Westown Parkway Residences causing some $2,000 in damage. What was going on with that electrical system?

And for those of you that missed it, even hotter than the sauna action, Iowa crushed Iowa State 35 to 3 on a beautiful Saturday of football. It gave us time to reflect back on that bum who moved on to Auburn. At least on prediction was right.