Progressive journalist Eric Boehlert dies in bike accident - great loss

[cilla4progress]

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=N498z3EACUE8RsWlMMq-Cw

Boehlert is a great progressive journo!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Boehlert

[cilla4progress]

1. Fuck - it's true

WTF

[blm]

15. cilla, maybe change your subject line

to one announcing his death, with the respect we all feel.

This is a hard one. 😢

[cilla4progress]

22. Perfect -

thanks for the suggestion.

[superpatriotman]

2. I fear you are correct

Waiting for secondary confirmation

[blm]

3. Nooooooooooo

Oh lort, no.

😢

He was so warm, so caring….he was the best of us humans.

[Liberal In Texas]

4. OMG! This is huge.

A bright progressive light has gone out.

[tenderfoot]

5. This is seriously depressing

[FalloutShelter]

6. My condolences to his family and the nation.

A great progressive journalist has been lost just when we need his voice to most.

[cilla4progress]

7. Check the replies - I'm afraid it's true

but will gladly recant if not!

FUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!

[highplainsdem]

8. Tweet from Aaron Rupar:

Link to tweet

[LittleGirl]

35. Same! Omg, so stunned. nt

[Cha]

82. TY🤷‍♂️💖 I was reading Eric Boehlert

yesterday, too.. this is so sad for his loved ones and Democracy

💙💛

[kacekwl]

9. How sad.

Another good soul lost.

[budkin]

10. RIP

He was one of the good ones.

[Native]

11. He's been a hero of mine for years. Such tragic news.

My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.

[CaptainTruth]

12. Yes it's true. RIP...

[hlthe2b]

13. Damn. The devastating news just keeps coming. Boehlert was a treasure.

I assume the story to be accurate. And I send my sadness and overwhelming respect out to those who share it.

[Nevilledog]

14. I'm just devastated.

Never missed one of his articles. Tragic for his family.

[Bettie]

16. Yeah, I read his stuff all the time

how awful for his family.

The loss of his voice is terrible too.

[FakeNoose]

17. Rest in Peace Eric Boehlert - gone too soon

[Totally Tunsie]

18. His DOD has already been added to his Wiki page,

but I find no other articles regarding this. Sad.

[Effete Snob]

24. .

https://montclairlocal.news/bicyclist-struck-killed-by-nj-transit-train-near-watchung-avenue-station/

A male bicyclist was fatally struck by an NJ Transit train near Montclair's Watchung Avenue station Monday night.

The train, on the Montclair Boonton Line, had left Hoboken at 8:58 p.m., and was set to arrive in Hackettstown at 10:07 p.m., an NJ Transit spokesperson said. The collision occurred at 9:40 p.m., prior to the train's approach to Watchung Avenue station, she said.

The bicyclist's identity hasn't yet been released. NJ Transit Police were continuing their investigation Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

Montclair-Boonton Line rail service was suspended in both directions between Walnut Street and Upper Montclair due to the fatality, NJ Transit said in alerts issued via social media Monday night. By Tuesday morning, normal service had resumed.

No crew members and none of the seven customers on the train were injured, the spokesperson said.

[Totally Tunsie]

26. Oh wow...even worse than expected.

What a terrible scenario.

RIP Eric Boehlert

[Effete Snob]

38. I am not certain it is him

However, he lived in Montclair, NJ, and the local paper has a report of a fatal cycling accident.

[babylonsister]

84. It's him.

Edit to add: we were friends on FB. I could have sworn he lived in Iowa or somewhere in the midwest.

Link to tweet

[ffr]

99. Not witnessed by anyone and yet foul play is not suspected?

Under what circumstance is a bicycle going to venture onto a train track without there being barrier bars? And does he frequently ride at 9:40 PM around train tracks?

To me, this sounds like those Russian oppositionists falling off four story balconies. I can imagine, given his open-minded reporting that he had a lot of RW's gunning for him. Maybe a couple of them pushed him into the train. Whoops!

I ride a bicycle too. Rarely do I ride that late at night. And when I do, I am no less cautious of the rules of the road and which vehicles have the right of way. Until there's a credible witness who saw what cause this terrible accident, I don't believe he just happened to get killed by colliding with a TRAIN!

[Effete Snob]

101. A couple of things

First, it is really stupid to murder someone using a mechanism which will trigger an NTSB investigation - as is the case with rail deaths.

Since you ride a bicycle, then you know that railroad crossings frequently present unique challenges particularly where, as here, it was wet that evening. A lot of rail crossings are not perpendicular to the road, are uneven, slick, etc.. One does not need to be "pushed into a train". If, for some reason, such as making an unexpected stop at a rail crossing due to the gate coming down or whatever, you fall down, then the fall itself can injure you to the point where subsequently getting out of the way is difficult.

One does not need to "collide with a train". One merely needs to take a tumble on or near train tracks. Land in a way that you are injured or knocked out (as I have been by cycling accidents), and the train will come finish you off. Taking a fall can disorient you.

Third, your experience of riding a bike has nothing to do with his. As far as it being 9:40 PM on that route, I would trust that his wife would know if that was unusual for him. Apparently, his wife, who knows a fuckload more about him than you do, doesn't find that aspect to be at all unusual.

There are plenty of unsolved shooting deaths in this area. If you want to kill someone, you point a gun at their head and pull the trigger, which is a fuckload simpler than trying to stage a bicycling/train accident. How the hell would anyone even do that?

Reference point: There have been 106 fatal shootings in Philadelphia this year. There are 22 with any court cases as a result.

[ffr]

110. Then my next question is, what compelled him to go for a bicycle ride at 9:40 PM at night in rain?

My experience riding was meant as a 'reasonable benchmark' one that most cyclists might identify with. As in, you'll find most cyclists riding during the day and especially during daylight hours on weekends. Not typically riding at night and certainly not riding at night in the rain around RR tracks. But you make some good points that would make him having a fall near a train even easier to accomplish an 'accident.' If he was mugged then left on the tracks, would accomplish my earlier point.

I suppose his wife's expectation of him riding at such hours on wet streets would lend credibility to the typical nature of such rides for him. Which then would make him perhaps more of an unusual cyclist, one who works out before bedtime? I don't know of any cyclists that do that, not even semi-pros, but especially not semi-pros, which is probably why most people don't work out just before bedtime. But that's not to say that he doesn't, but if he does wow, that's even more unusual!

And since she would know, before she is so willing to accept that her husband was playing daredevil with trains late on raining nights, was this something she knew of from speaking to him previously? Because, looking at him, he doesn't seem like the personality type who is a daredevil who practices his stoppie skills on rain soaked roads around railroad crossings or seeing how far he can one wheelie his way along a rain soaked rail -- at night. So what was he doing on his bicycle that led up to this train on bicycle collision?

Which is why I'd feel more at ease if there were some credible witness to come forward to fill in the gaps, so this isn't a case of a couple thugs who knocked him out and threw him and his bike on RR tracks.

[Effete Snob]

111. It is amazing you can't appreciate how absurd this is

“ a couple thugs who knocked him out and threw him and his bike on RR tracks”

Explain how you would go about that. Please include how one ensures one won’t be seen?

What is the possible advantage of doing that versus simply running him down with a stolen car?

[ffr]

113. I'm not going to follow your distraction with the car, but you just justified the absurdity, as you

called it.

You said "One merely needs to take a tumble on or near train tracks. Land in a way that you are injured or knocked out (as I have been by cycling accidents), and the train will come finish you off."

I agree with you. That would make his train on bicycle accident appear more plausible...and also less absurd. Wouldn't you agree? The part I'd add is the foul play, because I'm a little reluctant to buy it being a simple accident, whoops I slipped and knocked myself out on RR tracks. I guess my bad. And now I'm dead.

You said "Please include how one ensures one won’t be seen?" Oh for Pete's sake! He wasn't seen as it was. It was raining and at 9:40 PM at night, I'd imagine visibility would be someone poorer than if it would be Tuesday morning at 9:40 AM in bright clear daylight. The poorer visibility would make it ideal for a foul play kind of accident, as the perpetrators would be a lot less likely to be identified. Wouldn't you agree with that too?

I'm just more curious than most I suppose. I want to piece together how one goes from leaving one's garage on a bicycle, for a bicycle ride, to getting struck by a train in his home turf neighborhood. I guess to ask such questions is either forbidden, cast as absurd or labeled 'too soon?'

I hope the NTSB does get to the bottom of it, with a concrete recreation of how it all played out and doesn't end with a bunch of curious unknowns. Because when it's all said and done, if it was foul play, I'd want those motherf*ckers arrested.

[llashram]

121. ++

Last edited Fri Apr 8, 2022, 10:22 AM - Edit history (1)

many might pooh pah you here and elsewhere, but until ALL is known about this 'accident'. And what Mr Boehlert might have known or found as a journalist, this story-incident is not over. Maybe just an accident. All facts are not known, since there seemed to be NO witnesses. I don't trust the RW, the viciousness of their politics knows no bounds in these times.

[ffr]

124. their viciousness is what makes me want to know more

One of the most outspoken intelligent journalists out there just happens to die in the most unusual of ways. I hope investigators look into his recent Inbox history and social media comments too. I'm sure there's a litany of RW trolls who have a bulls-eye on him for speaking facts and truth.

[Effete Snob]

127. He is a member of the Montclair Social Club, which is near the intersection in question

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/essex/montclair/2022/04/11/eric-boehlert-bike-accident-train-killed-montclair-nj-transit/7275044001/

NJ Transit says gates were down when Boehlert killed, but residents call crossing sketchy

Mark Montimurro, whose apartment overlooks the crossing, said that when a New York-bound train stops at the nearby Watchung Avenue station, the gates across North Fullerton go down and then rise again after about a minute, what he calls a "fakeout." As the train leaves that station and approaches North Fullerton, the gates lower again.

Evan Cutler, who lives near the crossing and often bikes through it, said "a lot of the time the arms go down and nothing happens and then they come back up. It seems very unreliable, like the boy who cried wolf," he said.

...

As of 2017, 84% of NJ Transit trains had forward-facing cameras, according to a release by the agency.

[Effete Snob]

108. Consider

Since you ride a bicycle, tell me what might happen on a wet night at this crossing:

[ffr]

109. The gates would deploy a long time before the train comes along, I suppose

Like at most RR crossings. And it would be a spectacle, one that an intelligent cyclist would heed.

And as the previous OP informed, he was riding in the rain too? That must be one ride he felt compelled to get in before bed time! I do the same thing. NOT! You're not going to sleep well right after exercising.

[Effete Snob]

112. I rode in the rain on Monday

It’s been misty on and off. The worst conditions are when it’s just slightly wet, since the road oils run off in a hard rain.

You want to believe in an absurd scenario. Have at it

[ffr]

115. And you imply that I need to believe in some absurdity to justify your reasoning?

When I don't have a desire to believe in an absurdity, sorry. I want to know why and how. What I find absurd is that no one else finds it absurd. That's all.

I'm sure that as a cyclist, then too you've had your share of falls. Haven't we all. Yeah, before the days of helmets even. Knocked teeth out, road rash, seeing stars from smacking pavement or parked cars or clipping their mirrors or when the front wheel crosses when you least expect it. You know what I'm talking about. Been there, done that.

I'm sure too then, as a cyclist that you don't adjust your speed when on those slick roads than you typically do. I think we ignore the hazards of rain on roadways. Rain makes painted surfaces slippery and who hasn't fallen off their bicycle from a wheel sliding out from underneath you, right? Been there, done that too!

Because I too have cycled in the rain. Most often, as I've made abundantly clear, in doing so, at least for me and most riders it's not ideal, not desirable. Nor is riding late at night before in undesirable conditions appealing before bedtime.

And what kind of train was this, a silent bullet train that accelerates at the speed of light without any lights? Did it come from a black hole where all light was held in by gravity? No, just a normal train. Trains have horns that are blown repeated before crossings and long before crossings and rubble along and make a lot of noise and cross roads that have crossing arms that make even more noise and sometimes even, like this one, have train schedules that make their presence predictable for people who live along their tracks and obnoxious lights and flashing and the trains themselves travel predictably in one direction and a fairly consistent speed. I suppose he just road his bike into a train and died because of it. Nothing to see here. Or to believe your hypothesis, he caught his tire in one of the tracks while crossing over one or something and fell down and bumped his head so significantly he was unable to regain consciousness before being struck by the train. Only, I've never in all my accidents ever been knocked cold in all of my falls and I ride excessively fast sometimes. So I'd tend to think that, give the rain, he was riding much slower than he would in dry conditions, which would probably make such an accident in such wet conditions less severe and yet... How did he end up with a train hitting him again?

One thing for sure. I'm sure the collision with the train will complicate knowing one way or another if he was struck prior to the train hitting him or...him hitting the that loud obnoxiously predictable train.

[Liberal In Texas]

117. What's that picture of? IE: The location.

It's from Google Maps, but where? And I'm going to guess this isn't the crossing of the accident.

[Effete Snob]

118. It is the closest grade crossing to the station in question

Newspaper accounts say that it occurred near Watchung station.

The picture is of the nearest grade crossing to Watchung station.

If you scope out that area, the two directly nearest street crossings are elevated, and this could not be the location in question.

The picture is of the crossing in the vicinity of 256 N Fullerton Ave, Montclair NJ, which is the closest grade crossing to the station.

I have not conducted a comprehensive survey of other grade crossings farther from the station. One might assume that grade crossings on that line and in that area are similarly of the metal-plate type.

Additionally, the other assumption is that it occurred at a grade crossing while riding the bike, as opposed to perhaps taking a short cut by walking across the tracks at a location other than a grade crossing.

Does this answer your question?

[Liberal In Texas]

119. I agree with your assessment of the location on N. Fullerton Ave. The train was enroute from Hoboken

Last edited Thu Apr 7, 2022, 09:19 AM - Edit history (1)

and would have crossed this street before it reached the Watchung Avenue station. It's also a grade crossing that would be convenient from Eric's house on Montclair Ave. to Edgemont Park where (and this is just speculation) he might have been intending to ride around.

However, I can't see that the picture matches anything I can find on Google Maps, which prompted my original question.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8255474,-74.2079283,3a,75y,106.61h,87.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slbNFT-TM-qHp3uxOvPBViQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

[Effete Snob]

123. You are correct

I looked at a couple, and the one I posted was in the other direction at Bellevue ave.

Google streetview URL shortened:

https://tinyurl.com/5n8xfzwp

The Fullerton Ave. crossing does indeed look like this:



The dual-gate thing is interesting. There's a crossbar for the road, and one for the sidewalk, instead of having one larger unit at the outside of the sidewalk.

When the gate is activated, the counterweight portions of the arms would swing outward first. So, if one was on the side of the roadway, the counterweight of the sidewalk gate arm would come out into the road pretty much immediately, instead of an arrangement where a longer crossbar would not obstruct the road as immediately as this configuration. I don't know if that's particularly clear, but the short stubby ends (which I'm calling the counterweight) also don't have reflective white and red stripes on them.

I would imagine someone has studied the safety implications of one versus the other, but it seems like extra complication to have two crossbars on one unit.

[Effete Snob]

126. It was Fullerton Ave

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/essex/montclair/2022/04/11/eric-boehlert-bike-accident-train-killed-montclair-nj-transit/7275044001/

NJ Transit says gates were down when Boehlert killed, but residents call crossing sketchy

Mark Montimurro, whose apartment overlooks the crossing, said that when a New York-bound train stops at the nearby Watchung Avenue station, the gates across North Fullerton go down and then rise again after about a minute, what he calls a "fakeout." As the train leaves that station and approaches North Fullerton, the gates lower again.

Evan Cutler, who lives near the crossing and often bikes through it, said "a lot of the time the arms go down and nothing happens and then they come back up. It seems very unreliable, like the boy who cried wolf," he said.

...

As of 2017, 84% of NJ Transit trains had forward-facing cameras, according to a release by the agency.

[cilla4progress]

19. The world is fucking out of kilter

Up is down. Bad is good. Caring is hating. Attacking is protecting.

In our personal lives, each member of my nuclear family has sustained physical injuries ranging from mild to serious - including close misses - in the past couple months.

Whatever fucking power (if any?) is running things - order in the universe; "intelligent design"; karma - COME AND GET YOUR BOY. IT'S ALL FUCKED UP.

Chalk it up to randomness, I guess.

Not gonna roll over for it, whatever it is.

[Eliot Rosewater]

27. Yep, the good are getting sick or dying. The disgusting live on.

[demmiblue]

20. OMG, what a gut punch.

[SoonerPride]

21. Wow that's terrible

[Effete Snob]

23. Local paper

It is unlikely that two cyclists were killed in Montclair, NJ in one day


https://montclairlocal.news/bicyclist-struck-killed-by-nj-transit-train-near-watchung-avenue-station/

A male bicyclist was fatally struck by an NJ Transit train near Montclair's Watchung Avenue station Monday night.

The train, on the Montclair Boonton Line, had left Hoboken at 8:58 p.m., and was set to arrive in Hackettstown at 10:07 p.m., an NJ Transit spokesperson said. The collision occurred at 9:40 p.m., prior to the train's approach to Watchung Avenue station, she said.

The bicyclist's identity hasn't yet been released. NJ Transit Police were continuing their investigation Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

Montclair-Boonton Line rail service was suspended in both directions between Walnut Street and Upper Montclair due to the fatality, NJ Transit said in alerts issued via social media Monday night. By Tuesday morning, normal service had resumed.

No crew members and none of the seven customers on the train were injured, the spokesperson said.

[Carlitos Brigante]

25. WTF?!!! Damn, that's awful..... nt

[rogue emissary]

28. . . .

[yonder]

29. What a loss -- for everyone.

[bigtree]

30. damn

...big loss, for his family and us, as well.

[peggysue2]

31. This is a voice that will be greatly missed!

He was unabashed in his views, a consistent truth teller.

[blm]

33. This is crushing on every level.

[Botany]

32. He can't be replaced .... a real truth teller

Damn this one really hurts.

Stephanie Miller
@StephMillerShow
·
8m
Oh god. Oh no. @EricBoehlert
was my hero. My rock. My North Star.

[demmiblue]

50. She lost her pupper, too:

Link to tweet

[Botany]

53. Send her a tweet .... I know she is reading them. She has to be hurting.

I have no doubt she is reading this thread too.

Thanx Steph & Crew you brought Eric to millions.

I always tried to hear Eric when he was on because he spoke the truth.

[Traildogbob]

58. First thing

I thought of. Stephanie loved him. And she just lost Jamie unexpectedly. My heart breaks for all. Wish I could send Steph my love, I’ve been banned from Twitter, not on face book or other social media so getting her my love is not possible. I will try to call in tomorrow, if Jodi is still on air while Steph greave's and can pass on my hope for her healing. My stomach is nauseas thinking of this. 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

[Carlitos Brigante]

72. That's crazy!! I don't listen much anymore. But I don't think she had her that

long. Damn! Sad day indeed.

[GoCubsGo]

34. Goddamnit.

[TygrBright]

36. This silence will echo. May it plant many seeds among those who admire Eric. n/t

[ariadne0614]

51. +1

[crickets]

57. +2

[SidDithers]

37. Fuck...nt

Sid

[area51]

39. Damn.

[NewJeffCT]

40. Heartbreaking loss

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=8EYuAX4ay5A1Yx7_2ibtuQ

[dixiechiken1]

41. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

What a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE loss. This is horrible news.



Deepest condolences to his family.

[gopiscrap]

42. RIP

[Wild blueberry]

43. Deep condolences

First to his family and friends. Then to journalism and all of us.
Peace be with you.

[malaise]

44. This is a Huge Loss

So sad

[FelineOverlord]

45. Devastating

This is so sad. He lived in my area.

[gademocrat7]

46. Devastating

He was one of the best. Sincere condolences to his family.

[Pepsidog]

47. OMG-Devastating. I feel like I did when Wellstone died. Terrible loss.and Fucker Tucker lives.

We will be missed by so many.

[OneGrassRoot]

48. Nooooooo! 😢 n/t

[greenjar_01]

49. Oh my God...horrible

A fearless and relentless advocate. The scourge of the milquetoast press in a lot of ways. One of the best at what he did.

Tragedy.

[nolabear]

52. Blow after blow. Talk about times that try our souls.

I am out of words. Just out.

[Solly Mack]

54. :(

[MontanaMama]

55. No! This is a huge loss.

Eric’s dog Birdie…I hope a family member adopts her. This is the worst, saddest news.

[Duppers]

56. NO!! 😢

Last edited Wed Apr 6, 2022, 10:52 PM - Edit history (1)

[kimbutgar]

59. I'm having a hard time not crying

Eric was my favorite journalist talking about the media. I subscribed to his newsletter and enjoying watching him whenever he was on TV.

What a loss. RIP ERic!

[plimsoll]

60. Damn.

Not much else you can say. Kind of shocked.

[mountain grammy]

61. oh no.. so sorry to see this

Terrible news.. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace.

[Boxerfan]

62. I'm so sorry for this loss.

[librechik]

64. Nmooooo!

That is crushing news indeed. Unnecessary roughness. Fate. Wail.

[Mr. Evil]

65. I hate to say this but,

Eric Boehlert was an intelligent man. It's really hard to believe he was hit by a train while bike riding. It's not as if he was inside a car listening to loud music. He was on a bike and most likely on a route he'd ridden many times. There's a bright headlight, loud horn and even the sound of the wheels on the rails would be enough to alert him.

Just... Damn!

RIP Eric. Your work was much appreciated.

[babylonsister]

85. I am stunned.

I would faithfully search for his articles blasting the media at least bi-weekly. Another important voice lost.

[niyad]

96. I think that our thoughts are similar.

[JI7]

100. Maybe he was listening to something. It's easy for people to get lost in their own thoughts

Especially if it's already a noisy area so he might have tuned it out mentally .

[Effete Snob]

102. Are you familiar with railroad crossings on a bike?

What happened was most likely NOT him riding into the path of a train.

It's been wet this week in the area. Railroad crossings, and the approaches to them, can be tricky on a bike.

If you slip on a wet road from the white paint (which is very slippery when wet) in the vicinity of a rail crossing, you can fall off of your bike.

If you fall off of your bike, you will hit the road. The road is hard. It can injure and it can knock you out.

If you have fallen off of your bike, hit the road, and become injured, knocked out or disoriented at a railroad crossing, then you may not be able to get out of the way of a train which comes along after you have fallen.

If you are approaching a rail crossing on a bike, and the crossbar comes down in front of you, and it is wet and you do not stop in time, what do you think might happen?

[Effete Snob]

107. .

That's the nearest grade crossing to the station in question.

Rain. Slick. Fall. Bump. Lights out.

[Lulu KC]

66. Oh drat

I just posted this in latest-breaking news, having missed your post earlier.

Really a loss.

[spooky3]

67. So horribly sad. He was an outstanding media critic. Nt

[Jack-o-Lantern]

68. TERRIBLE LOSS Eric Boehlert dead aged 57: Journalist dies...

after being struck by a train on his bike.
A train? How in the hell could this kind of accident happen??

[DinahMoeHum]

69. One of his last (if not THE last) essays, from The Press Run. . .

Why is the press rooting against Biden?
Burying great news

https://pressrun.media/p/is-the-press-rooting-against-biden?s=w

He also just did an interview with Molly Jong Fast for the podcast The New Abnormal:
(go to the last third of the podcast)
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYWNhc3QuY29tL3RoZS1uZXctYWJub3JtYWw/episode/ZGQ3Yzk0MmEtOGQ3YS00Y2ZjLWI4ZWMtMzhiYTBiMWMzMDBl?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjE3KjLnID3AhUilYkEHdCtDwgQieUEegQIAhAF&ep=6

Rest In Power, Eric Boehlert.

[calimary]

70. Only 57... WAY too young.

He had years of fight still in him.

DAMN!!! This is devastating.

Just DAMN.



We Will Take Up - AND FURTHER The Fight. With him as our inspiration and inner strength. We HAVE TO. He would want nothing less.

[SunSeeker]

71. That is terrible news. He will be sorely missed. Damn.

[rebe303]

73. OMG

No. He was so good on Stephanie Miller Show. So sorry for his family😑

[mcar]

74. I've followed him for years

This is a terrible loss for anyone who believes in a truly fair media.

[Demovictory9]

75. So sad

[BigDemVoter]

76. Oh I HATE reading this!

[Scottie Mom]

77. Oh, what a horrible loss for all of us and especially for his family!

[AmBlue]

78. Horrible news

His voice will be missed.

[GB_RN]

79. WTF...

"Only the good die young
All the evil seem to live forever
Only the good die young"
(emphasis added)
Iron Maiden 🤘🖖

[Cha]

80. 🤷‍♂️💖🤷‍♂️TY cilla.. Hillary's Tweet on Eric Boehlert's passing..

Link to tweet

💙💛

[FuzzyRabbit]

81. Terrible news.

Feels like I was punched in the gut.

[iluvtennis]

83. His voice will be missed. May he Rest In Peace and His Memory be a Blessing

[blogslug]

86. Just terrible

❤️

[Saoirse9]

87. Just a crushing loss. Awful.

I can't understand for the life of me how he could be hit by a train on his bike. I used to live up that way . . . .

Maybe he slipped.

[karin_sj]

88. Terrible, terrible news

My heart sank so much when I read it. He was such a powerful, articulate voice of reason and truth. It's horribly sad and tragic.

[mzmolly]

89. Oh no.

[albacore]

90. Mods will probably pull this post, but...

I gotta observe....Boehlert is gone.
And that FUCKER CARLSON yet lives.
I tell ya... there ain't no god!

[sarchasm]

91. oh ... man ....

... my favorite part of the PRESS RUN substack ... his playlist

[liberalmediaaddict]

92. Devastating news

He was unique voice and will be sorely missed.

Reading Press Run, his Twitter account and watching his weekly appearances on the Stephanie Miller show was always a joy.

He had such good insight into the mainstream media and the beltway press.

Simply a tragic loss. I still can't believe it.

[JHB]

93. Well... ... ... ever living f*ck.

Another reminder of why we need MORE of his (and not just his) sort of journalism. Because if you have a dozen of any "kind" of journalist, losing one is sad, but not a significant loss. When the numbers of that "kind" are much smaller, every loss is a "Capital L" Loss.

[BobTheSubgenius]

94. A terrible loss.

I was a big fan of his work and style. He will be missed.

[niyad]

95. This story does not make sense. I am not going to say what my first thought was.

[Effete Snob]

105. It does if you look at the crossings in that area

It was wet that night.

The reports are that it was "near Watchung station".

The thing is, if you look at Google streetview, the two nearest crossings to Watchung station are elevated. That suggests one of two things:

1. That he was not actually cycling at the time, but was taking a shortcut and carrying his bike across the track at a location near the station, or

2. That he was at this crossing:



Those big metal plates are VERY SLICK when wet, and you have to cross two sets of them.

If you are cycling at that crossing, and you slip and fall on the first one, then you can easily end up injured, disoriented, or incapacitated, lying on the tracks.

To jump to some crazy notion that someone managed to be in the right place and time to stage a train/cycling accident is banana pants. How would one even set that up without an immense risk of detection.

You can just drive by a cyclist, shoot them, and drive off. But to intercept them and try to put them into the path of train, against their will, is quite a project.

[NJCher]

125. yeah, that wouldn't happen in that town

very unlikely, anyway. The town is one of the bluest in the state of NJ and is one of the most liberal towns. It's the next town over from where I live now and I lived there for 20-some years.

The crossing you have pictured is by the real estate agency and to its left is a pie shop, if I remember correctly.

I lived only a few blocks from that crossing and regularly walked to that center to go to the post office, get coffee and a bagel, visit the doc, that sort of thing.

There is a Trump supporter in that neighborhood, on Park Street, probably 1200' from this crossing. He had a big trump flag on the outside of his big house. Wasn't there long. Probably the only trump supporter in the whole town. Not suggesting anything, but I do remember it.

[OldBaldy1701E]

97. Now that is sad indeed. RIP to a great writer and journalist. (n/t)

[MyMission]

98. A great loss

[Upthevibe]

104. cilla4progress....It was a student free day at work today

so I hopped on DU around Noon and this is how I found out about Eric Boehlert's passing......... I was just stunned.

I know him from Stephanie Miller's show and really look forward to their discussions every week.

Stephanie lost her beloved and cherished doggie last night (out of the blue - there hadn't been any problems so it was a complete shock). Jody Hamilton sat in for her on this morning's show.

My heart just goes out to all of his loved ones and those who had a special relationship with him. It's also a huge loss for progressive media.

I'm just stunned....

[lillypaddle]

106. Oh man, what a loss!

We lost a true friend in him. Condolences to his entire family, especially his wife and kids.

Gone WAY too soon.

[shrike3]

114. Why do I feel like I've lost a friend?

[djacq]

116. Lost a true champion on keeping the media honest.

[PatSeg]

120. Wow, what a shock

Such a loss.

[Initech]

122. Man this sucks! What a huge loss!

RIP!