Many (if not most) drone pilots are safe and responsible flyers, but it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone. Whoever was piloting this drone at a cycling race might be one of those few.
Cyclist Kaito Clark was racing in the Golden State Race in Sacramento, CA this weekend when he—and his handlebar camera—captured a cringe-worthy series of events. A drone pilot, presumably getting some low-flying aerial shots of the race as the cyclists zoomed by, lost control of his drone when it hit some tree branches.
The drone came careening to the ground, smashing to pieces right in front of Clarke’s friend riding just a few meters ahead. The cyclist seems, at first, to avoid the worst of the consequences, swerving to avoid the big chunks and starting to slow down… before one of the drone pieces catches in his front wheel and fork, sending him over the handlebars.
The resulting crash is not easy to watch:
Details about this crash are sparse, but Cycling Weekly reports that the rider avoided the worst possible injuries, walking away with “a broken wheel, helmet and some road rash,” but no broken bones. The drone operator, says Clarke on Reddit, offered to buy the crashed cyclist a new wheel and helmet.
No word on how the cyclist feels about this offer…
Let this video serve as a reminder to fly your camera drone legally and vigilantly at all times, especially when you’re flying around people. This completely avoidable wreck could have resulting in some very serious injuries.
