After a cyclist in Seattle was involved in an accident while riding the famous “sharrows,” several other accidents have taken place since then in the city and across other locations in Washington state.
While we understand that during warm summer months more people are riding their bicycles, we also know that cyclists are extremely vulnerable when involved in accidents. As personal injury attorneys with more than 30 years of experience, we know that riders are often seriously if not fatally injured in a great number of these collisions.
The latest accident involving a cyclist in Washington took place in Yelm. According to the reports, the Washington State Patrol the driver may be charged with driving with a suspended license and negligent driving.
Troopers en route Car VS bicyclist serious injury collision SR-507 near Old McKenna Rd. Will update w/more details ASAP -Trp Phillips
— Trooper John Dattilo (@wspd1pio) August 13, 2017
According to the report, the truck was traveling westbound on state Route 507 on Sunday when it hit a man near Old McKenna Road. The cyclist died as a result of the injuries he sustained in this accident.
After the collision, the road was blocked for nearly four hours so that troopers could investigate.
The rider was a 19-year-old man while the truck driver is 56.
No further details on the cyclist were released.
According to the WSP, the driver could have been negligent at the time of the accident and as a result, he brought the cyclist’s life to an end. This is a tragic turn of events, which concerns us as it shows that Washington is becoming increasingly dangerous for bicycle riders.
If drivers are not ready to pay attention to the road and ready to be responsible for their actions, similar accidents will continue to take place.
We hope Washinton drivers are doing their part, understanding that sharing the road with cyclists is important and perhaps, the only way to avoid these accidents. But we also hope authorities are working tirelessly to make sure that roads that aren’t safe for cyclists are being redesigned so that preventable accidents will no longer take place.
