New threat to bicycle riders: blowgun darts

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As if the streets are dangerous enough, some nitbrain in Seattle apparently has decided it's great sport to shoot blowgun darts at bicyclists.

Two people riding their bicycles in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard reported to police that they were hit by 4-inch darts fired from a blowgun on Monday.

Police are investigating the separate attacks against a 29-year-old man and a 39-year-woman as aggravated assaults.

One victim, Avram Dolen, told the Seattle Times that he was bicycling across the Ballard Bridge when he was hit.

“I heard a little pop sound, which was followed by a stinging sensation afterward. My first thought was I got hit by a rock but then it kept stinging. I went down to feel what it was and there was a 4-inch dart sticking out of my left buttock.”

Dolen called police and later went to the hospital for a tetanus shot. The woman was struck by a dart in the right thigh. More at MyBallard.com.

The blow-dart attacks bring to mind the case of local bicyclist Peter McKay, who was shot by a couple of BB pellets while commuting home on his bicycle back in 2007. One pellet had punctured a lung; the other just missed his aorta and spinal cord.

In spite of that attack, you can see from reading his blog that McKay still finds great enjoyment in riding his bicycle.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/23/new-threat-to-bicycle-riders-blowgun-darts/

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