Carbon Trace

Here’s the report from the Springfield News-Leader:

A Joplin bicyclist died of his injuries Thursday night after colliding with a sport utility vehicle on Missouri 66 near Joplin, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported.

Todd G. Evans, 41, was pronounced dead in St. John’s Hospital in Joplin after the 6:10 p.m. crash five miles west of Joplin.

The accident occurred when Evans rode his southbound bicycle into the path of an eastbound 2002 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Barbara J. Sheffer, 47, of Baxter Springs, Kan.

At 6:10 p.m. it would have been dark. The sun is setting just before 5:00 p.m. now.

Curiously, I could find nothing on the web site of the Joplin Globe.

Here’s another report from KY3 TV in Springfield:

A man from Joplin died after being hit by a vehicle while riding his bicycle. Troopers say Todd Evans pulled out in front of the driver on Missouri 66 just outside his hometown early Friday. The 41-year-old man died at a hospital.

Early Friday?

Here’s another report from KOAM TV in Joplin:

The Missouri Highway Patrol says an SUV hit Todd Evans, 41, of Joplin, as he was attempting to cross Highway 66 on his bicycle.

The accident occured just after 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Evans was taken to the hospital where he later died.

So he was crossing. But where exactly? And does the intersection have a light or some other traffic control? Did Evans have lights? Was the driver speeding or distracted? Did the driver have her lights on?

We’re left with a ton of unanswered questions that any one of the students in my JRN 270 Introduction to Journalism class at MSU would know to report.

It sure would be nice if some news organization in this region would clear this up. A man died. But, then, he was just a cyclist. And we live in a car-centric culture.