Reston Bike Riders Loudon County W&OD Crash

Reston bike riders assemble in the Herndon Town lot prior to a fun weekday ride from Fairfax County to Loudoun County

“Defensive Driving” is not just for motorists.  Even bikers need to ride “defensively” and anticipate unsafe actions by others on the roads, paths and trails.  A group of cyclists from Reston were enjoying the W&OD Trail, just past Leesburg in Loudoun County, when calamity struck.  A little boy about 6 or 7 years old was riding with at least one or two siblings and his father was walking with them.  The child was looking back and rode directly into the bikers’ lane.   While the cyclists yelled warning, and some were able to avoid crashing, but others were not so fortunate.  One witness noted, “the little guy rode right into us.”  This child was unhurt, and the neighbors were a great help.

The victim of this crash noted, “There was no one else on the trail with us. It was totally unexpected. After I was on the ground, people came out of the woodwork.  Then there were people on the path.”  Luckily, the cyclist sustained no broken bones.  However, the bicycle rider will no doubt be sore for several days, and her bike will undergo repairs.  The resident of an adjoining neighborhood’s helpful actions renewed the bikers’ confidence in their fellow human beings as he went the extra mile to help out. Everyone at the Landau Law Shop wishes the injured cyclists speedy recoveries and hopes that the child involved (and his parents) will be more careful in the future.