A tragic day in a week filled with mayhem caused by lawless and inattentive driving of motor vehicles. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Sher Kung, killed on Second Avenue today in a crash with a truck whose driver did not see her and failed to yield the right of way.
So sad that this is a week before physical lane separation and new signals with no-left-on-red for motor vehicles while bikes have green to go through will be in place.
Memorial ride next Thursday or Friday late afternoon is in the works.
Yesterday in Bonney Lake a pickup driver drifted off the roadway while texting and hit a 40 year old man who was riding a bike on the shoulder, the WSP reports. Monday, two drivers hit two boys riding bikes across Airport Way in Georgetown,
Mayor Murray and Scott Kubly, SDOT Director, have already received letters that cruelly take advantage of this tragedy to push anti-bike agendas, claiming bike riding is too dangerous for city streets.
But yesterday, three people were injured in a hair salon in Columbia City and three others were injured in the restaurant next door when the driver of an SUV plowed into the salon. The building was in danger of collapse. Can a bike rider cause this kind of damage?
Eating in a restaurant is not dangerous.
Getting your hair cut is not dangerous.
Riding a bike is not dangerous.
DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS,
and that is where the focus should be for safety, for lower speeds, for law enforcement and for protection of everyone else.
photo from Lars Halstrom