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Saturday 5 January 2008

Ride in Peace, Ralf-Gudo Kuschy

Ralf Kuschy now has the dubious, deathly distinction of being first; as in Berlin's first traffic fatality in 2008. The bronze medalist in the Match Sprint at the Men's Amateur Cycling World Championships in both '85 and '86 was riding his bike on Landsberger Alle when a vehicle at least 100 times his bicycle's weight, and a speed-potential approximately three times his, mowed him down. He was 49.

Except for the two on-line newspapers that have inserted mention in their respective tallies of "traffic deaths thus far in the new year", I can't find any further details about the accident. The newspapers have provided thus far no more than date and time, name of victim, and the fact that an automobile either struck and killed him or ran him over causing his death, depending on which account you read. The additional details provided here are courtesy of my cursory research and horrid imagination.

Foto: Erik van Traas