A young bicycle rider was fatally injured in a Tuesday accident in Parkland, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) told news outlets. The 13-year-old was crossing SR-7 in a crosswalk on around 4 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a Jeep.
Following the accident, the Jeep driver remained at the scene. Officials said he was not impaired and that no other vehicles were involved.
The teenager died on the scene as a result of his injuries.
Friend, WSP Official Lament Deadly Bicycle Accident
Following the deadly bicycle accident, WSP officials told news outlets that this type of accident is “heartbreaking.”
“A lot of us have children that are the same age,” Trooper Robert Reyer told news outlets. Talking to news reporters, a friend of the victim said that it hurts to lose someone you are close with.
While officials are working hard to investigate this accident, they have yet to announce what factor led to the collision.
Bicycle Riders, Pedestrians At Risk On Washington State Roads
Between 2013 and 2017, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) reported, bicyclists and pedestrians accounted for 18.6 percent of traffic fatalities across the state.
Considering that 70 percent of bicycle riders who are killed in traffic accidents were riding on roads with posted speed limits that were 30 mph our higher and that distracted driving has been often associated with pedestrian and bicycle accidents, it is clear that both speed and distraction are contributing to the deadly accidents involving Washingtonians who walk or ride a bicycle to come and go.
We hope officials will soon announce the factor that led to this accident. Until then, we hope Washington drivers are doing their part to avoid bicycle crashes by respecting speed limits and staying focused on the road.
For more on this crash, follow this link.
