Well-known racing cyclist Dwayne "Highly" Falkner, 60, dead after his bike is struck by a car on 17th Avenue and Pecos Road near Phoenix, Arizona
Modified Date:
Thu, 11/20/2014 - 5:49pmAccident Date:
Wednesday, November 12, 2014Raw video: Fatal crash involving a bicycle
See raw video of the crash site.
Bicyclist killed in south Phoenix crash
Pecos Road near the accident scene is a popular location for cyclists.
Fatal collision involving bicyclist closes Pecos Road
The collision is still under investigation, Howard said. Police are researching speed and impairment as possible contributing factors.
CYCLIST DEAD IN AHWATUKEE CAR WRECK
There have been numerous traffic fatalities over the years along Pecos Road (in Phoenix. It’s a stretch of about 7 miles), including one other cyclist back in 2004, and numerous motorist fatalities and of course numerous serious injuries; including this serious ped injury due to a driver’s gross distraction just a few months ago.
Dwayne Faulkner, Local Cycling Competitor, Victim in Pecos Car Collision
Mr Faulkner is known in the cycling world as "Highly" Faulker. He is pictured on the left during a September, 2009 ride at Canyon de Chelly national monument.
Mountain biker hit by car, killed in Ahwatukee
"[Faulkner was] a super fast 50+ mountain biker," said Tim Fleming, director of Fleming Wealth Strategies racing team. Fleming said his teammate was Faulkner's friend. "He raced on 24-hour teams with some of the guys from the Phoenix Consumers Cycling Club. Very sad."
Fatal bike crash; are there design flaws on Pecos road?
A terrible crash claimed the life of a cyclist and it's left locals asking isn't there some way to make it safer for bicycles on the streets of the valley.
Mourning the Loss
Tim Porthouse, President of Vitesse Cycling and Triathlon Club spoke about the loss. “Highly was a much loved member of our team and a well-known cyclist in the Phoenix Mountain Biking and road biking community,” said Tim.
Dwayne Highly Falkner Obituary
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation or Maggie's Place.
Cochise County Cycling Classic Notice
Our Rancho Feliz Extreme Sport/Extreme Karma events will never be the same without original "Guardian Warrior" Highly Falkner. We miss your presence already Highly. Gil
Dwayne "Highly" Falkner, 60, was riding a bicycle when he was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding near 17th Avenue and Pecos Road. Both the bicyclist and the driver were riding westbound, and the driver stopped at the scene to help. The bicyclist was taken to an area hospital where he died of his injuries. Officials are investigating whether driver impairment was an issue.
Type: Bicycle Accident
People Involved:
Dwayne Falkner
Roadway:
17th Avenue and Pecos RoadCity:
Phoenix, AZCounty:
Maricopa County, AZArea:
Phoenix, AZ
Comments
I know the location of this
I know the location of this accident very well and actually rode past the accident about 45 minutes after it happened. This intersection has a history of accidents mostly involving cars since it was modified by the city of Phoenix traffic control. Some of the fault of any accident there lies with the city of Phoenix since it was modified without much thought to cyclists.
I bike this same route a few
I bike this same route a few times each week and can tell you that this spot is poorly designed for both the motorist and the cyclist. I drove by mere minutes after this happened (heading east bound), before the ambulance arrived. This spot is the highest likelihood of something happening as the right lane turns into a right-only lane and at the same time, the cyclist must move to the center of the two lanes (west bound) in order to catch the new bike lane to continue through. Rather than putting the cyclist at such a high risk by crossing over one lane and being put between two vehicle lanes, why not leave it to the right and only need to address the right lane and the 17th ave vehicles?
Also, please trim back the bushes as they have encroached into the bike lane and force the rider closer to the line (will help for cyclist safety). As well, better mark the bike lane for motorist view. I can tell you that I am buying more safety equipment for my bike and was looking over my shoulder a bit more this morning. Very sad event.
In total agreement with both
In total agreement with both comments. I also live nearby and I'm not a cyclist, but this redesign left me scratching my head! Why in hell would you force someone on a bike to cross a lane of moving traffic only to have them settle between two lanes of cars going 50+?!? The arrows pointing every which way are confusing to anyone not familiar with this area...to the casual passerby, it looks like the right lane is ending alltogether, with giant white arrows marring the pavement, directing cars in that lane to merge left. In a car, I cannot count the number of people who, at the last minute, realize the lane is "turn only," and cut back to the left, cutting off through traffic in the process. It is hard to believe some highway engineer somewhere not only came up with this, but throws people on bikes square into the middle of this chaos. And, with 60+ new homes being built on top of this intersection, it's not going to get any better. ADOT needs to sh*t or get off the pot! I suspect they came up with this ridiculous configuration because this is the site of a future freeway off-ramp, and they didn't want to lay down the money for a stop light - like we have at every other major intersection off Pecos. The freeway has been a pipe dream for 30 years....it could be another 30 before it happens, if at all. I suppose that means nothing but "Band-Aids" for roads in the projected path...such as this. The intersection didn't need a merge lane, it needed a signal! Had there been one instead of a ridiculous, money-saving configuration, this person may still be alive!
Deceased cyclist: Dwayne
Deceased cyclist: Dwayne "Highly" Faulkner.
ourhtn.com
Prayers going out to Dwayne's
Prayers going out to Dwayne's family and also to the young man driving the car. I agree with others that there should be a stop light at this intersection, that the bike lane should have never gone between the two lanes, that the bushes need to all be cut back along Pecos Road for the cyclists sake, but also for the vehicles that are trying to see in order to turn right onto Pecos Rd from the side roads. Don't cut costs when it comes to safety.
Just an FYI: his name is
Just an FYI: his name is spelled, "Falkner."
A Google search of "Highly
A Google search of "Highly Falkner Tempe" will verify the correct spelling....
Thanks
Thanks
Thanks for letting us know.
Thanks for letting us know. All media sources so far are spelling his name "Faulkner," and his age is listed as either 59 or 60.
...no problem...wanted to let
...no problem...wanted to let people know before the error was replicated more on the web...thanks for maintaining this site!
I just left flowers and a
I just left flowers and a rosary at the crash scene where there now stands a bike in his memory. Such a heartbreaking story. I live fairly close to this area and find it ridiculous to make bikers and cars cross paths in that area... Who ever is in charge of this should immediately rethink a strategy to keep these innocent people safer! We just moved to the area Summer of 2013 and have seen so many accidents in this intersection and believes something should be done!!! I am saddened every time there's a helicopter hovering over my home as I know there has been another accident/tragedy on Pecos & 17th Ave.
My heart aches... I hope his close friends and family members can find strength during this horrific time. Our prayers and condolences are with his family and loved ones.
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