Drone takes out cyclist during California race.

[HiVac]

From shutterbug:

Camera drones can be a great way to capture aerial footage of sporting events but they can also be a serious hazard when they crash. That’s what happened during a recent bike race in California where a drone ended up taking out one of the cyclists after it fell from the sky.

In the harrowing POV footage below shot by Kaito Clarke from the handlebars of one of the competing bikes, you’ll see the drone drop from the sky at about the .30-second mark. While the cyclist survives the initial impact of the drone, the UAV gets caught in his spokes and he eventually goes head over handlebars on his bike and then face plants onto the road.

Ouch!

In case you miss the drone vs. cyclist dustup the first time, the scene is replayed in slow-mo several times later in the clip.

 

[HiVac]

You can see the pilot on the left just before the crash....

 

[enzo200500]

Ooops!

 

[willhay555]

A Phantom of some kind.

 

[CCDD]

That definitely left a mark!!

 

[BluesDragon]

Hope that pilot keeps some good liability insurance on his drone.

 

[TrayBoz]

I'd be curious to know what kind of trouble the pilot got into, if any. At least he lost his Phantom, which he deserved to, IMO. No reason to be flying under a tree right next to hundreds of racing cyclists, and obviously he didn't have the skills for it. Could've really hurt someone.

 

[HiVac]

He was trying to stop but as he slowed down it appears the propeller arm made its way into the wheel, locking up the front tire.....

 

[djhoodrich]

Wow thats f*** up

 

[HiVac]

I'd be curious to know what kind of trouble the pilot got into, if any.

I hate to say it, as I know so many people here would feel violated, but this is probably why DJI wants to broadcast our information while flying to authorities. I'll bet this guy didn't have his drone marked (although I'm assuming DJI knows who bought it) and he "high-tailed it" out of there as soon as it happened! (He would have had to climb back over the caution tape he was supposed to be behind first).

He will just say it was stolen or something.....when confronted.

 

[Top Hat]

Sh** I know that area.
That freakin idiots is a A hole.....BIG TIME.

 

[flying_outcast]

Ok.... This is not good by any means.... But don't you think cyclists have taken out one or two people trough the years? Probably not less than drone pilot have, (statisticly)
My point is, everything is dangerous, of you don't want to risk anything than just don't and stay at home.
And ****, all that talk of danger of drones and all the policing in here is probably creating drone hating in similar amount that the media has. You people have to realize that. I've only once seen as much whining in one forum and that was a forum my wife used to hang on, one for new mom's!!

 

[geigy]

Bad publicity for the drone cause, to say the least. Terrible, incidentally, to ruin the race for an athlete who obviously worked hard to train for this event, and trash his equipment, just so some careless tyro can get a video. We are slowly closing the vice on our freedom to fly with incidents like this, and it hurts to see in so many ways.

 

[flying_outcast]

Bad publicity for the drone cause, to say the least. Terrible, incidentally, to ruin the race for an athlete who obviously worked hard to train for this event, and trash his equipment, just so some careless tyro can get a video. We are slowly closing the vice on our freedom to fly with incidents like this, and it hurts to see in so many ways.

Bikes are still legal, having hurt alot of people both cyclists and innocent bystanders..... Stop this crap, it's this talk that is doing all the damage

 

[Lone Wolf 58]

Shxx happens. Yes the pilot should have givin the situation a little more thought. But in the end, it was just an accident. With more and more UAV's out there there are going to be more incidents like this. The pilot should have givin more of a safety zone between the drone and the subject matter. He failed to do that. It was a mistake and an example to the rest of us not what to do. But in the end it was an accident in my book. It wasn't malice.

 

[Lapeer20m]

And nobody died..

 

[normr]

No, nobody died, but I'll give my opinion as a retired paramedic from a 35 year career, having run on similar crashes that the cyclists injuries were probably very extensive , like a broken jaw, nose, teeth, concussion, multiple abrasions and lacerations, not to mention fractures .

 

[geigy]

My two cents - take it or leave it (and mostly leave it, haha).

I hear you, Norm. I worked in an ER, as a volunteer, for a year. I know the kind of things that can happen.

A lot of this thunder and lightning is from different age groups having different perspectives. Younger people have not experienced that kind of physical injury to themselves and others. It just isn't part of their experience. For many of us that is what it takes, not just someone yammering at them.

We need to give each other some space, and be tolerant, especially when it seems like half of us want to send our drone straight into the intake of a 747, and the other half of us spend all their time raining on the drone parade and ruining everyone's day. If we squabble among ourselves, that hurts the drone situation too. So flying outcast has a point. There has got to be a middle ground.

 

[Zoso]

That numbskull and he does not deserve to be called a pilot needs to be silly slapped to unconsciousness and restricted to flying paper airplanes for life !

 

[MikeyNick]

I don't know how legitimate it is since I just read it on some article, but I'd read that the pilot offered to buy him a replacement bike.