i slash car tires.
Geeky sweeds ?
The shirtless guy to the left sitting down, meyhaps that is the driver of the ...hah Roto Rooter van.
SAD......

I don't mean to imply that the driver of the van was speeding, by the way. It sounds as if she was not. Still, it's a very steep hill, and to go more slowly, both cars and cyclists have to really apply the brakes. Interesting what Loren said about placing bike lanes on less-traveled routes.

I live on 24th Avenue and can tell you that too many people speed on this street, especially going south on the steep decline. Last year alone, there were several accidents in front of my house. Once a dog was hit, and my neighbor and I rushed the dog to the E/R, but his injuries were too severe, and he had to be put to sleep. Density means more people walking and biking around and on 24th, but the cars keep coming, and they treat it like a major thoroughfare. It's a huge ordeal to pull out of the driveway every morning.

“I keep returning here hoping to make some sense of this horrible event” Sense? Exactly what sense are you looking for? Remember what George Carlin said is the key to life. “try not to get killed.” Last year 42,642 people were killed in road accidents. Life is luck and genes Loyal and genes are really just luck also. Life is risk and life still has a 100% mortality rate.

2. Assaulted by the "STATE":
I was riding on a wide paved sidewalk and crossing on a crosswalk with the pedestrian crossing sign on, when a "monster"-pickup truck with WA state DOT logo on its doors (!) was slowly creeping and attempting to turn "right on red" in front of me.
During the entire time of the near-accident evolving, in slow-motion (literally!) for about 15 sec. the driver was on her cell phone, looking over her left shoulder - away from me and away from the direction she was going, and kept creeping and never stopped and looked both ways - for pedestrians and bicycles, as she was nearing and rolling onto the sidewalk, while obviosly seeing the white and then flashing-red pedestrian crosswalk sign as she was looking over her shoulder.
That is again three violations - red light with no stopping, not looking for pedestrians and bicycles at crossing to give them right-of-way when it is clearly established by signs, AND 6 months past the cell-phone law had already gone into effect.
I stopped her (and myself on the bicycle) by leaning over (still in motion) and banging as hard as I could with my fist on her hood - I was inches away from her bumper and there was neither time for me to stop and get away from her path nor to accelerate and cross fast to avoid being hit.
I was literally at her mercy and only her swift breaking reaction to the loud bang on her hood saved me from going under her wheels, albeit in slow-mo.
Thousands of people like her roll over red lights and stop signs - without ever stopping and looking both ways. Thousands of people STILL talk on their cell phones, even while turning with a one-hand hold on the wheel. That it was a state - DOT employee, that did all of that, at the busiest intersection of Factoria mall at rush hour - that was increadible. At least three drivers rolled their windows to give me their comments on what they saw, while I was proceeing through the intersection still in shock.
EVERYONE (the State included!) needs education and re-education regarding the laws of the road. Whether by penalties or other means - not important. What is important is that people either do not know or do not care about the laws and put the rest of us in danger by choosing to do so.

I want to share with all the bizarre twists in the two situations where as a bicycle commuter I felt my life was put in extreme danger:
1. By Bike - I was inches away from being side-swiped by a "fellow" bicyclist ... or was he not a fellow, but just another predatory driver/rider?
Crossing one of the intersections near the Seattle Central library, on a pedestrian crosswalk, from a dead stop on my bike, as the light sign just turned white ("on") for me, I was almost in the middle of the street when I had to break hard - another bicycle, going downhill, ran the red light, ignored me and the 3-4 pedestrians behind me on the crosswalk, and was probably going at a speed far in excess of even the max speed for motor vehicles. That is 3 major violations of the laws regulating bicycles for him. If he was in a motor vehicle and an accident were to happen, with me as the victim, his penalties would run in excess of $500-$1000 and could involve jail time depending on the seriousness of the injuries to me.
In my opinion there is a need for dedicated law enforcement upon bicycles, perhaps 3-5 days a year, or 1 full week, with the goal to restrain by both - penalty and education, both the ignorant and the dangerously agressive bicycle riders.

Thank you for your Post, J. My son goes to the Ballard Boys & Girls Club along with Kevin's daughters. We'd seen him there often picking them up etc, the absolute picture of a great dad. Whether due to a momentary lapse of good judgement or an innocent accident, it probably doesn't matter to them exactly why or how he died. They lost their father and their lives are changed forever. It is so incredibly sad.

And for those, who due to their apparent childishness feel compelled to argue the associated issues. Please just stop. There's no winning anything. Try to understand the gravity of what happened and, instead be compassionate.

I hate to see news like this; this is truly a tragedy. I read somewhere that his cousin also was in an accident at this same intersection in 2007. I know there was a fatality there of a man hit and killed by a DUI driver there. This intersection is truly dangerous and deceptive. 24th turns a bit here and there is a tricky curving here, and maybe a reduction in lanes? Since it is highly dangerous intersection, maybe there could be some work done on it by traffic engineers to make it safer? Any suggestions? Can't anything be done?

Kevin's friends from Castle View Elementary, Gage Middle, and Poly High schools in Riverside, CA are devastated. He was the shining star of our 20-year reunion last year because: 1) he rode his bike from Seattle; 2) he was a babe; and 3) his obvious adoration of his daughters, of being a father, and of his life were on display. He was so happy and sweet. His loss is keenly felt by a large contingent of his hometown friends.

My condolences to the friends and family. I bike commute. I hate reading stories like this. People make mistakes sometimes in traffic. Sometimes the result is tragedy. I say a little prayer to keep me safe each day since I know something like this can happen on each commute. That helps me enjoy each day and feel the breeze and see the sights and smell the smells.

I'm sure Kevin Black took this attitude towards life too from what I've read of him. Sounds like an amazing human that this world is not better off without. Wish I could have met him.

I'll have one for Kevin next time at the Viking.

What a great post J. I totally respect folks like yourself who are willing and able to drop everything and help a stranger fight for his life. Hats off to you.

I’m the off duty firefighter who witnessed the accident and performed CPR. I am also an avid cyclist. I am confident that the Seattle Police are in the position to put together the most accurate, unbiased account of this incident, from all witness statements and information.

I understand that we all searching for an explanation to how and why this happened. I hope the family turns to the Seattle Police for those answers. Since family and friends of the cyclist will probably read this blog, I see its only useful purpose as showing our support for their suffering.

Witnessing this incident is the most disturbing event I have ever experienced. I feel sick for the family who has to cope with their world being shattered. I see myself in the cyclist, who on any given day could have reversed roles with me, my brother or many of my friends. I feel terrible for the driver who will, for the rest of her life, be suffering from emotions that few of us can possibly comprehend. Taken separately, both the cyclist’s and driver’s actions were nothing that I haven’t performed hundreds of times in the past.

To the family, I am so sorry. There is a ripple effect to your suffering that is felt by many. I will never forget your tragedy.

Ugh. I really hate to be so graphic, but you do realize the bicyclist was under the wheel of the van? I did not expect the impact to move the van, but when something is preventing one of the tires from touching the ground things are much less predictable. Both in terms of car physics and how a driver reacts.

Joshua,

Look at the picture at the top of this page. The van is 100+ feet North of 64th. The police car in the photo is at 64th. If the collision cause the van to move it would be S of 64th NOT N of 64th and there out be a huge dent in the side of the van. 200lbs of bike and person do not move the rear of a 2 ton van that far without evidence of an impact. No van movement by the driver or the police would have that van where is clearly is if the driver was truly making a left onto 64th. Look how the wheels are cranked hard left as one would do in making a left U.

What was said by others and supported by photo does not support the SPD conclusions.

the SPD blog is in no way a Police Report. it is a blog and is not really anymore accurate than this one. I like cops, 99% of them are just like you and me. Trying to do a good job, doin their best. (I was an firefighter/EMT myself)

The van driver did backoff the cyclist. The bike is still under the van. A cyclist at 180 lbs will not change the direction of a 4000lb van. A cyclist overtaking from the rear will not be able to move a van 90 degrees to the direction of travel. The skid marks etc are still there. Take a look and tell me how the cyclist drifting left spun the van counterclockwise.

Let me be clear, the cyclist may have been going to fast for the conditions. There is no credible evidence he was speeding. Going too fast and speeding are two different things.

Both drivers and cyclists make mistakes. The cyclist had as much right to be in the lanes of travel as the van. We will have to wait to find out how this all shakes out, but I see more information that says the Van driver made a mistake than the cyclist.

I saw the rider of a small motorcycle, or moped rear ended on 24th Tuesday afternoon about 2:00. He was stopped, northbound waiting at the stoplight at 65th behind several cars when an approaching car hit him in the back knocking him off his bike. Has anyone seen any information on this?

I'm sorry, none of us are in a position to play amateur detective. As silent.kit said, eyewitness accounts are notoriously incorrect. Trying to put together the accident from a web forum is probably even more suspect. The KIRO picture is from at least a half-hour after the accident. We have no idea how the impact affected the path of the van (as gruesome as that may be). Several people have said that the van backed up to free the cyclist, so we have no idea if the picture has much bearing to what happened at the time of the accident (not to mention that the police may have moved the vehicle to gather evidence). And even now images like the one above may very well cloud the memory of people who were there at the time. That's why a statement by someone like Ric is so valuable, he very clearly said what he did and did not see. Where he was at the time and what else was going on the may have distracted him. It doesn't mean he is completely correct, but it certainly helps when trying to piece it all together.

We are really in no position to make a guess. The police were there, very shortly after the accident, looking at it, inspecting the vehicle, inspecting the bike, talking to multiple witnesses, using their expertise with regard to many many accidents they have seen before. Barring a video tape of the accident I think their report is going to be as accurate as it gets. You may be one of those people that simply hate the police and think everything they say is a lie, but I for one believe that they are the most qualified to bring together several conflicing accounts and on scene information (that no 120x120 pixel image is going to give us) to discover the truth. This was not some minor accident, the police took this seriously. It's okay to believe the police. I know that's an unpopular thing to say in Seattle. Maybe you should be asking yourself, "Why do I immediately recoil at anything the police say?" What does that say about your biases and your character. Many people go through a phase in life where they distrust authority (I know I certainly did), but then they come to realize that a vast majority of these people (policemen, firemen, teachers, etc...) are actually good people who are competent at what they do.

If the police report had said that the driver was making an illegal u-turn I would have been completely fine with that outcome. It was still a terrible accident. Unfortunately we are all human and people make mistakes, sometimes with awful consequences. What I am not fine with is any effort to change the facts to portray this woman as a murderer. Take a look at how SeattleCharles attempted to change the Critical Mass incident to completely slant it. I don't want the illegal u-turn idea to become the accepted fact simply because people repeat it enough times and then see that blosom into "yet another bicyclist killed by a careless driver". It is completely unfair to her.

Please remember, it usually takes 2 mistakes to create an accident like this.

From readers all the comments on this and other sites I think this is what may have likely taken place.

The rider approached 24th from an East/West street N of 65th, crossed the N bound lanes of 24th, headed S down the center turn lane and picked up spped to merge with S bound traffic. The rider then merged in front of mBasher (safely or not I don't know) and then moved right into the bike lane as drivers slowed for the red at 65th. The rider likely anticipated the change to green and went through 65th faster than any of the cars. The van either pulled out from the curb to make a U (the after pictures make it very clear the driver was making a U and NOT a simple left onto 64th) or was the first car at the light and veared (sp?) right to make the left U easier. The rider moved to left to go after the van moving right, but was then hooked when the van did the hard left.

It was just a a bad set of circumstances than came together at the wrong time. The U was wrong and passing still cars at speed was wrong and the result is terrible for all.

The think the SPD report is not accurate and was completed before all the evidence came together.

There is a bias against cyclists, but it has been formed by those riders that continually ride irresponsibly.

Joshua, please take a close look at the Kiro photo at the top of this blog. The van is across the road a good 100" before the intersection with 64th. If the Van was going into the left turn lane to turn on 64th, why is it across the road and well before the intersection. Look closely at the Van. You will not find a dent in the side of it. The cyclist died because he slid to a stop under the van and the van drove over him with the back tire. If the van was truly going to turn left at the next intersection, the cyclist would have struck the back of the van not slid under it in front of the back wheel. The van was clearly making a u-turn midblock.

"bikers should be in Guantanamo "

Oh wow, you are sooooooo victimized. Put of on Che t-shirt, pump your angry fist in the air and attack the man.

For the sounds of it, the victim in this case was clearly in a class above you, Charles.

" some kind of victim class"

They were comparing themselves to Rosa Parks on the Slog after the Critical mAss attack.

Right Charles, and the driver of the car just accidently got cracked over the head with a u-lock. Honest, these were just friendly cyclists.

Don't worry Charles, everyone IS out to get you, you're not paranoid.

Trust me.


I'm a lifelong motorcyclist and cyclist and remember the words of my first instructor:

Remember, when you're on 2 wheels, it's always your fault.

Think like that and you'll live longer.

Seriously, SeattleCharles? This is exactly the kind of urban mytholigizing to place bicyclist in some kind of victim class that turns so many people's stomaches. You conviniently left out several facts: 1) he was trying to pull out of a parallel parking space, that is a far cry from "drove into". 2) The person he actually hit was when he was trying to back into his parking spot while several bicyclist were pounding on his car. 3) What else happened?...Oh yeah, the poor man was hit in the back of the HEAD with a bike lock! I believe that person is still at large.

This is a simply awful partial retelling of the truth to suit your own bias. Please don't post here anymore.

Umm, sorry Bark more, wag less: you just cited a second example (the notorious Critical Mass episode), when a car driver deliberately drove into bicyclists and the cops promptly took the driver's side and acted like the bikers should be in Guantanamo or something. Go check it out! You want me to come up with more?

@Nick - 168

Eyewitness accounts have been known to be very inaccurate. I'm not taking sides, just tossing that out there.

To everyone who commented about cyclists owning the road, feeling entitled, or some variation. From a cyclist point of view it seems like cars act like they own the road. Like most things, it’s a bit different view depending on which side you are looking from.

Drivers need to take a deep breath and understand that, regardless of their perception of bike culture, it’s not going to kill them if they take an extra look, drive at reasonable speeds around bikes and wait to pass until it’s safe to do so (3 feet is generally accepted as safe). As a driver, some (not all, or even most) of what you perceive as pompous behavior on the part of cyclists might sometimes not be the case--because they are in your way and you noticed them it might be the safest place for the cyclist. This is usually referred to as taking the lane which makes bikes more visible to both lanes of traffic and cars entering from side streets and is handy for avoiding opening car doors.

Drivers, keep in mind that law abiding cyclists, complete with helmets and lights, (yes, we’re out there) are just as annoyed at bad cycling behavior as you are.

Cyclists need to keep in mind that even though you feel it’s only you taking the risk by breaking the law, it multiplies drivers perception that all cyclists are law breakers and really increases dangerous car/bike and even bike/bike confrontations for everyone.

Everyone has more than one story about how this car or that bike wronged them. Tragedies like this underscore the importance of remembering that both bikes and cars have equal right to the road and both need to do everything you can to avoid being part of the statistic, regardless of how many times you've been wronged by a car or bike.

With a little help from both sides, we'll hopefully all be able to get along someday.

Seattlecharlles, one case doesn't make it 'notorious', that makes it anecdotal.

But keep being angry at the man, you only reinforce the stereotype of the Critical Mass crowd with their childish sense of entitlement.

David @ 165

I absolutely agree with your sentiment. I think this pro-bike culture has gotten a little out of hand and this is what can happen when bicyclists think that they have the right-of-way over everyone.

Sounds like a case where the bicyclist wasn't obeying the rules of the road. I hope other bicyclists take this to heart... I've seen far too many close calls lately due to bicyclists jumping in and out of traffic - especially downtown.

Condolences to the family... A horrible tragedy.

This should be a wake up call to all of the bicyclists around the Ballard area who think they are invincible. I cannot count how many times I have had to cross the yellow line into oncoming traffic just to avoid a bicyclist.

Be safe out there, it's a dangerous world.

Anyone who thinks we should just stand up and salute the cops, check out this, just one of numerous examples of Seattle police prevarication when it comes to bikes: "In the lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court, Harris says he suffered a broken neck, a torn shoulder and other permanent injuries when he was struck Jan. 31 by a police car driven by Officer Robert Cavin. Seattle police have refused to release the name of the officer, a 23-year veteran, saying he had been injured, did not remember the accident and also was a "victim" of the accident. [SNARK] Harris was riding his bike to work and trying to turn left from First Avenue South onto South Bennett Street from the left-hand turn lane when the patrol car struck him from behind, the lawsuit states. [!] The patrol car then slammed into a sub shop. [!!!!] Witnesses said the officer was traveling at excessive speed and was not using his emergency lights and siren, the lawsuit says." Nuff said.

Mmm, take a look at the history of police and bicyclists in this City, including cases where cops have plowed into bicyclists. The police attitude has been quite hostile. If you want an "impartial professional," get a private accident investigator and reconstruction expert (as I hope the victim's family will do IMMEDIATELY). The cops ain't it.

The police are not "notorious" for blaming cyclist to anybody except cyclist who have a grudge against authority. Sorry, I think I'd rather believe a trained impartial professional that interviewed several people, including the driver, than a single eye witness who may very well have a bias. I understand it is fashionable to think the "man" is out to get you, but I don't buy it. If you hate police so much, please try telling them that the next time they pull you out of a jam.

Yeah, I'd take the police "report" with a big grain of salt. They are notorious for blaming cyclists for accidents. It's a kind of fixation with them.

Politics, legislation, and principles aside, it really doesn't matter who is to blame here does it? People woke up today not knowing their lives would be changed forever in just a few hours. Children will grow up without a parent. Others will carry trauma for many years, perhaps forever. In my eyes, everyone screws up sometimes. Some are so unlucky that they pay for it with their lives, and it really doesn't matter if they stay alive or not. I know that I have crossed in front of cars on a bike as if I'm invincible, and made illegal u turns in my car. It is never my intention to harm anyone. I would be devastated if I ever did harm anyone. You just don't think sometimes.

I'm so sorry for the pain everyone intimately involved in this tragedy feels now. I hope you know that the senseless bickering you are reading is a way of dealing with this tragedy. As a community, we feel your pain and we express that the best we know how. We feel grief and horror for what has happened, and know deep down, that it could have been any of us, on either side.

Besides all the arguing, I hope you also feel our caring and concern. On behalf of all of us, I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to everyone that has suffered from the terrible events of this morning.

Just because a police report says something doesn't mean it's true. In any case, one eye witness report above states that the van pulled away from the curb in front of the bike. The eye witness account states that the van was making a u-turn. Honestly I trust that over a police report that relies on second hand information. Could have been a u turn or regular turn, so what.

Cars pass cyclists all the time, and cyclists have to yield. Even if a cyclist signals, the cyclist still can't turn in front of a car that is passing.

Look as many people have said, the purpose of this thread is not to get into the pros and cons of cars versuses bikes. Friends and family of the bicyclist are reading this thread to get information.

But...they should also be getting correct information. The police report clearly states that the driver was turning left onto 64th, not making an illegal U-turn.

From the police report:
"South of the intersection the van signaled and moved into the left turn lane in order to turn left onto NW 64th Street."

There is absolutely no benefit in trying to insert non-factual information into this thread.

Am I the only one who is tired of pompous bike riders who think they own the road?

My heart goes out for the departed, it really does, but this incident really should raise some red flags with the city and its bikes are cars attitude.

So sad.

If you have lived in any other big city in the world you'd be shocked at how ridiculously Seattle deals with its cyclists. Everyone I speak to about this agrees that we have a cycling culture here that believes it's both indestructible and above the law. The fact that cycling on the sidewalk is legal in Seattle is a major cause of this attitude. We're telling cyclists that it's OK to ride wherever they want just so that they can get from A to B as quickly as possible. It's pretty laughable that in a city that still religiously polices j-walking, you're likely to get run over by a fat cop on his bicycle on the sidewalk. If we don't get the bikes off the sidewalks and start to fine riders when they pull these dumb-ass tricks in traffic this won't be the last tragic accident.

Besides, who among us has NEVER in our lives made an illegal u-turn? Hmmm? Not many hands still raised. This will make me think twice next time I consider making one though.

I feel bad for everyone involved. I would hate to be in the position of the van driver because I never want to hit a bicyclist. But even when you're paying very close attention as a driver, there is so much distraction and so much that can go wrong quickly. It's a very sad unfortunate event that affects us all as a community.

my sincere condolences to the family & friends.

I am so glad it was not her fault. I know what it is like to hit a cyclist and have the bicycle flying monkeys come out at you like you are the devil for driving a car. It was not my fault. The bicycle messenger downtown who was of course riding between lanes, between two cars, pulled in front of me, went down into a manhole cover and lost all speed. I am so glad I only crunched his bike and scratched up his leg. Believe me, it was very quick thinking and reaction on my part that he didn't die. And anticipation on my part that this guy was probably going to do something stupid. I was right. All the bike messengers came to the intersection and pounded on my car and swarmed around yelling CA-CHING !!!! But the facts were the facts, he did it to himself and he knew it. At least he was a good honest human being and told the truth despite the encouragement of the bikers to cash in big time. The cops gave me a ticket to avoid a riot and told me to contest the ticket. When I got to court the magistrate said the police report cleared me of all wrongdoing. The bicyclist was going too fast and too reckless. Everyone slow down.

I gave my report twice verbally and once written.

mBasher
please make sure you have talked to spd about what you saw and what you did.
thank you.

Family and friends of the deceased---I and many others have you in our thoughts and prayers.

Dear Family Member,
Noted that family will be reading, if you are directing that to me. My thoughts and prayers are with your family tonight.

Please excuse this question if it's already been answered, but was the van attempting to make a U-turn across a double yellow line?

thanks for reply.
Michael

24th is dangerous enough for bikes without adding Metro's new rapidride buses to it. Put rapidride on 15th where it belongs.

I am a family member from out of town who was directed to this site by his bike club website. I was just looking for some explanation of what happend. As an avid biker, like my cousin, I'm still trying to process everything and not laying blame on anyone however I'm asking poster to please realize what you write will be read by his friends, family, and children.

The SPD report doesn't make sense in light of eyewitness poster #150 above and Ric in #113.

If the bicyclist had swung into the bicycle lane, then he would have been on the right of the vehicle that was moving to turn left, as it moved into the intersection. If the van moved to the right, into the curb lane, and KB was in the bike lane, then when the van decided to move back to the left to turn, he or she would have squeezed KB, forcing him to move left. If a U turn was attempted, there is the tragedy.This suggests that the van was making a U, not moving forward and southward to get in the center lane for a left turn at 64th. because ric says he was to the right, and into the bicycle lane.

For the sake of understanding, I hope SPD got its story straight.

I am so sad this has happened, and yet another life is ended. My thoughts and sympathies--please, everyone, slow down, look around, pay attention.

Hm, other websites have released is name and he appears to be a professional? bike racer. Sad.

maybe its just me, but when i make a u-turn i check mirrors, then look directly and keep looking as a slowing pull out. I never thought that this habit was for bikes, i just don't want to get hit!

SPD has released a statement: http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2009/02/04/fatal-...

I didnt read through ALL of the posts above, but about half.
I was there. I was coming down 24th and he came from my left, out of the neighborhood and into the center lane next to the car in front of me. As that car passed he swerved in front of me, to the bike lane and picked up speed for the hill. I dont know how fast I was going, but I am usually about 5 over down that hill and he was passing the cars in front of me. He was moving. As he approached the red light at 65th, I noticed that he really wasnt slowing down and I guessed that he was anticipating the light. When the light turned green he was passing cars in the bike lane and the van pulled away from the curb where the bus stop is. He swung wide to the left to go around the van. I think he thought the van was just pulling out into traffic, but when he realized the van was making a u-turn, he laid the bike down and slid under the van.
I was third on the scene and thank God for the guy in front of me, the fireman. He and the grocery clerk started CPR after we pulled the bicyclist out from under the van. It was horrible.
I dont know if the u-turn was legal, but that guy was cookin down that hill. I am sure that the the woman in the van checked her mirrors, but he snuck up on her. I can say for certain that he was not practicing the rules of the road. I believe in 'Share the Road', but that means the drivers AND the bicyclists!

My heart goes out to both involved, and their families. And again, thanks to the fireman, the grocery clerk and the woman in the white Mazda.

I am saddened by how many of the posters on MyBallard can turn any tragedy into an argument. It's pathetic.

I cross this intersection with a baby in a stroller often, and it always makes me nervous, even when I have the right of way.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the cyclist. May he rest in peace.

Was he seriously going over the speed limit, doing 35 mph down 24th? Do cyclists do this often? Just seems crazy to me to be going so fast on 2 wheels, all it takes is one cat running into the road and you're dead.

Seeing the posts from friends of the cyclist reinforce that this isn't just another "accident" statistic, it's a personal tragedy. And from the posts, it looks like KB was one of the good guys. I didn't know him, but I hope he rests in peace.

My takeaway is that if I continue with my plan to bike to work once I move my company's office to Fremont, that I'll keep the speed close to that of a jogger. This is not a dig at the van or KB, just a personal choice/conclusion.

I am very sorry about this tragedy and to all family and friends affected. I am also very grateful for this discussion as I had a family member fatally hit by a motorcycle, at the young age of 22. I have noticed, unfortunately, that it takes these tragedies, to get serious discussion and increased awareness.

For myself, I am a new commuter cyclist – previously, I biked only for recreation. I LOVE the feeling I get when I bike to my destination no matter what time of day or night. I notice the world so much more. The cars, the traffic, the pedestrians, the air, the temperature, the wind, the sky. Everything. I do not want to give it up!

When I first began commuting, I yielded to cars and pedestrians alike, and I took side streets. But I found quickly that commuting is very different than recreational biking. After only one year on Seattle roads, my thoughts and behavior have changed, and I can now understand more fully the behavior of seasoned commuter cyclists . Commuting is a very different experience than say, taking a ride along the sidewalk on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Daily biking has its challenges. There are dangerous potholes, cracked roads, uneven pavement, turtles, rail tracks. Freezing cold wind, freezing cold rain, being exhausted at the top of a hill. These can be exhilarating challenges for the biker – but to be sure, they can also be quite threatening – so I have learned to be very alert on the bike.

There are other challenges, that have forced me to change my behavior. Daily I am treated like a second class citizen by cars and pedestrians alike.

When riding side streets, cars try to squeeze down one lane with oncoming bikes (and parked cars with opening doors). There is not room actually - so yes, I changed my behavior to take up the full road to make this clear to drivers.

When riding on side streets, cars will go left of the traffic circle – this causes head-on collisions with bikes (or cars for that matter). So yes, I go to the middle of the road, so that they can see me more clearly.

When riding on main arterials, cars open their doors or make u-turns into the bike lane. So yes, I changed my behavior to be in the car lane (to the right).

When cars pass me closely, I find them at the next intersection blocking my path. So yes, I move unexpectedly around them (I don’t intend to surprise them as they did not intend to surprise me when the nearly side-swiped me when passing).

When riding up a hill, exhausted, in freezing rain, cars will pull out in front of me, forcing me to stop, on a hill, in the rain, in the cold. So yes, I change my behavior and on those days get in my heated car with a put my foot on the gas pedal. In my car, I’m dry, I’m warm, and that same car usually waits the extra 10 seconds for me to pass.

When riding through an unmarked intersection, pedestrians will walk right out in front of my bike. I can see that they are looking carefully for cars, in fact, they are looking so carefully that they see right through me.

Before I started biking as a commuter, I was not as aware of these things as a driver. I know now because of the loss of a loved one; stories I’ve heard; and because of my own experience. So to me, this discussion is very valuable. The fatality did not make the 5pm news today – many people do not know.

I have noticed that the time difference for bikes is only about 5 minutes less for every 5 miles by car in the city. As a driver, I am much more patient with those bikes in the way of my speedy car now.

As a driver, I try to always look where my car is going. If I am turning right, or making a u-turn, or going straight, I LOOK – I want to avoid hitting ANYTHING. LOOK whenever you open your door. If you’re not concerned about bikers, an upcoming car can take your door and your life with it.

And as a biker, I try to behave in an expected manner for cars, pedestrians, AND other bikers. If I am passing someone, I ring my bell and give a little distance.

I think it is SO great that we have a city where we can bike and drive. It is truly fantastic. Lets work to keep it!

This is really terrible. Back in the early 90's a 16 year old motorcyclist was killed by a drunk driver at that same intersection. I think he was heading south bound and the car didn't stop. I believe that the driver owned the gas station down the road at market and 24th, but I could be wrong.

I bike everyday. I usually go down 22nd. Once when I was going down 20th at 9am Sunday morning I had a motorcycle buzz me at 50 mph. Was about a foot from me. Then last year a truck did essentially the same thing. So now I stay away from that road. Too many crazy people.

I hope that the family of the cyclist- members of the Ballard Community- do not read this thread. The support is wonderful but the petty arguments peppered in between are disgraceful.

My heart goes out to the family; the loss you have suffered is unthinkable. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Ballard has lost an upstanding citizen. A very sad day, indeed.

I was a witness and was one of those who called 911 and did what little i could to help.
I want to sincerely commend the two gentlemen who did all they could to save the mans life. the refused to give up. One giving CPR and teh other whatever support he could. My sincere thanks to you. Thank you to people who realize that we are all in this together and need to help each other.

My deepest regrets and condolences for the family of this man. I knew him in passing and my heart broke when I recognized him as a parent whose child goes to school with mine.

I am very sad for thier loss.

Lets all remember to slow down, look around and be aware of those around us.

a

That "35 mph" comment is my responsibility I don't want it taken out of context. He slowed down before the intersection. My point was to illustrate that cyclists frequently, and rightly, move into the travel lane when their speeds increase on hills. This is the safe thing to do, and points up the false sense of "safety" created by the existence of bike lanes. In my opinion the cyclist, while moving at a good clip down the hill, was operating his bike properly. As observed in my last post @113, this was a freak combination of circumstances.

Does it matter if he was going 35mph?

The SLOG is reporting that he was going 35mph down 24th. Is that the case?

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/...

It is so sad to hear that a living breathing person who would probably be coming home right now is gone in this terrible accident. My condolences to the family, friends and all those who helped at the accident scene.

KB, that is

the van was doing business at the Viking. Happened right in front of my shop.
Perhaps we should step outside ourselves and consider the temporary nature of all things.
Daily, on that corner, I am bombarded by pettiness from my neighbors. ( punctured 8 of my tires because I parked cars in spaces they've been using before I arrived). And today, A 39 year old man whose name I'll leave unpublished, bled out all of his his time on a warming street corner.
I will drink with his ghost, and I will redouble my efforts to remain the voice of reason.
RIP, JB. My heart is breaking for your family.

Thoughts and prayers to the family. SO sorry for your terrible loss.

I also heard from my postman that there was another accident at that corner a few hours later. Anyone know about that?

I am so very sorry that this biker lost his life. Prayers to his family & friends.

This is a terrible intersection. Too much going on, too many folks trying to merge and worse the 'sneak a rounds'.

As residents of Ballard (we cross that intersection every. single. day.) We must do something about this intersection.

My husband was hit on his motorcycle June 2007. He is alive and I am so grateful.
He was heading north on 24th, had the green light. A woman in a car was heading south on 24th and tried to make a left right in front of him. They hit head on....
There is much much more to this story, his and the woman who is a local repeat traffic criminal with no insurance but I digress.

I'd really love to see MyBallard focus on accidents at this corner.

Again, so sorry to hear we lost a neighbor today.

I hope I don't hear any bickering on-site. I'm heading over right now.

See you there.

I'm so sorry to hear what happened! Sad, sad, sad. We all need to be careful, whether we are in cars or on bikes. We all share the road and need to be on alert. So sad!

I have plenty of respect, thank you. And I'd appreciate it in return. I think you should re-read #72 before you judge me or anyone else.

Additionally, don't assume that drivers aren't paying attention. I'm not new - I know what I'm doing.

Finally, this is a horrible, horrible tragedy. I'm so sorry for the cyclists family and friends.

Mikey

Thanks for sharing your OPINION, that's what blogs are for.

Michncraig - yeah, I saw your post @80. You were clearly assigning blame. KNOCK IT OFF.

Mikey,

Read my post @ 80.

It's not your job to tell others to "knock it off"

Recall the motorcyclist that died at this same intersection a few years back. This intersection is VERY dangerous! Especially, when heading west on 65th & taking a left hand turn onto 24th. It’s difficult to see the cars behind the car that is turning left up 24th street.

God, what a tragedy. I heard the sirens this morning just before 9:00 am and wondered if this blog had the information yet. Sure enough, the Geeky Swedes posted something almost immediately (thank you.)

As a driver and a cyclist, I can see all sides to this issue but now is NOT the time for assigning blame. Michncraig and cyclocrossmechanic, please knock it off immediately. You are only fanning the flames on a very difficult day. I am certain that for friends (like SG) and family, the ONLY thing that matters right now is that a good man from our neighborhood is gone and that a van driver is also feeling his own emotional pain.

This is just sad, sad news all around.

Would like to send my condolences out to the Black family, it is always hard to loose someone from your family, and despite the fact I didn't know Kevin and his family, he still is part of our family of cyclists, commuters and racers. My dearest regards,
Robert Trombley

Sad day, indeed.

We all just need to be more aware. I think that sharrows are justified on 24th - the bike lane is not obvious enough. Plus it is obscured in places still with sand - or folks think it is a "parking lane" marking.

I ride this street all the time, and assume that no one sees me. It comes down to physics - I weigh way less than the smallest car and keep that thought with me.

See you around 5pm.

Condolences to everyone affected by today's accident. Very sad news. Also a wake up call to all of us to be more careful -- drivers, cyclists, walkers, or whatever.

I'm kind of anxious to find out whether the cyclist was somebody that I know -- any word on when his name will be reported?

I was the one hit off the motorcycle on 24th & 63rd yesterday (feb 3 2:30pm). I experienced unpowered flight for an instant & it stinks because you have to land...seriously ,I don't know how I walked out of Swedish 5 hrs later.
If anybody was a witness to it or has a pretty accurate description of my prone position in relation to my bike that would be great. Condolences for the cyclist today

Terrible tragedy. Personally I hope this spurs the city to reconsider their misguided policy of putting bike lanes on busy arterials like 24th. Between 80th and Market the road can be very crowded at times between car traffic, Metro buses and bike traffic. I do not feel that the bike lanes are clearly delineated and though the majority of cyclists are responsible about keeping to the lanes there are many who do not and if buses are also going down 24th it takes away that much more room.

Rather than point fingers at opposing camps it might be helpful to discuss a bad city road use policy, one that cost someone their life today.

Prayers go out to the family of the killed bike rider, who was probably someone's father, husband, brother, co-worker, and all of our neighbor. I think we should all: bikers and vehicles, slow down! Take more time doing anything, look twice or three times no matter what. A motorcyclist had an accident their yesterday. A car in front of my sisters hit a bicyclist at that intersection last summer and he flew into her window. He was ok that time but no matter who is at fault the bike rider is always going to loose over all. It is an easy hill to pick up speed driving or riding and when I saw someone giving the victim cpr as I was driving my daughter to school this morning, I was sick thinking that it might be a child riding to school next that gets hit. I think we need to all work together and let each other know that we all care about our community and don't want this to happen again. Accidents arew always going to happen but the cure is trying to learn from mistakes, that could have been anyones, and be prepared in the future so as to lesson the negative impact. And I love this blog, it had the first info up and I wanted to know what happened. Pictures are the 21st century, no way around that. it is what it is.

while you all argue, let's not forget that this man lost his life. i'm absolutely grief stricken. he was incredible and a dear friend.

The rule I was taught by a motorcycle instructor 20+ yrs ago has stuck with me for years:

When you only have 2 wheels, it doesn't matter if you are in the right; it only matters you get home in one piece.

Condolences to the family.

Wow,....that's a lot of comments!! I just looked on here from the Magnolia blog. Sorry to see this loss!!
I can say that I still see too many riders with No Helmets and No Lights at night this is just asking for it!! Also I would like to see the using the cellphone while driving a reason to get a ticket maybe like $500.00 would make drivers think about driving and not about their phone so much. Get a Blue Ant Bluetooth they work very well!! I ride a bike too and SDOT has made it worse out there if you ask me!!

Accidents like this tend to spark a lot of discussion/debate/...rage. I'm currently off my bike and in physical therapy after being doored a few weeks ago. I know--in my case--that the driver did not MEAN to cause any harm when he opened his door as I rode past in the bike lane, but he still wasn't as careful as he could have been--and I suppose, nor was I.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have only suffered what i did after hearing stories like this--especially on roads I'm very familiar with. Hopefully, if nothing else, today's extremely tragic accident causes more awareness in all drivers--cars and bicycles. It takes almost no effort to take (or lose) a life on the road. We get lazy and take our safety for granted.

My thoughts are with the family and friends of the cyclist.

Rest in peace.

I've cycled to work for years, and I used to avoid arterials and always take the sidestreets, but I concluded they were more dangerous. Drivers on arterials seem to have a better sense that they're DRIVING ON A STREET, whereas on the frequently narrow sidestreets there is very poor visibility, particularly at intersections (frequently with no stop signs), and drivers don't seem to get alert until they're a few blocks from their driveway.

That said, the downhill avenue arterials make it very easy for a cyclist to build up enough speed that their stopping distance is too long for safety. When a bike locks up a back wheel, your stability is greatly impeded. If the front wheel locks, it's an instant accident. There is no ABS on bikes, and few people have hands-on experience on high-speed breaking on a bike.

I haven't posted since the this morning, so I want to observe a few things upon reflection.

The most important thing is to keep in mind the people involved, as they are both victims. Something like this has a ripple effect through the community to which we should all be senstive and respectful. Lives were changed forever today.

Beyond that, there is no question a convergence of circumstances led to this. It was not one thing, or one person, it was a series of things that happened tragically all at once.

I have no doubt the configuration of the intersection played a role. Coming down the hill, the light was red. The cyclist was in the travel lane. Approaching the intersection as vehilce traffic slowed & stopped, he moved right, into the bike lane. He just happened to near the intersection as the light switched to green, so he carried a lot of momentum through the intersection, while being on the far right side where the van would have had a hard time spotting him.

This is all pure speculation, but seeing the light turn green, the driver -- who was indeed south of the intersection -- might have hurried to make the u-turn thinking there was time since the southbound traffic was only just starting to move. Problem was, the bike came across 65th a lot faster than the cars.

The guy was clearly an experienced cyclist. He made the turn onto 24th from 85th, checked traffic, and moved over into the bike lane between there and 80th. We were in tandem all the way down 24th, with him getting into the travel lane behind me when his speed down the hill matched vehicle speeds. I bike this hill a lot and would have done the same thing myself, in fact have many times.

No one could have foreseen the combination of things - bike, signal change, u-turn, etc. - all happening within a split second of each other.

Please accept these observations as contributions to the community's understanding of what happened, and respect that I'm trying to piece things together between what I actually saw and what I'm inferring. I didn't actually see the u-turn, so there are some important missing pieces in my visual sequence. This is truly awful, and I hope that we can pull together on behalf of the victims and community to see if there are any rational lessons to draw from this, and if not, a least draw some understanding.

Boardbrown,
Thanks for turning this thread back to where it should be. I hope to see others there this evening. What a crappy day.

We will miss you my friend.

michncraig - post #47 that you responded to (in post #93) was my post. So yes, you did direct comments at me.

Blaming a dangerous intersection for an accident is in no way "stupid". It is how you improve a city and make it safer.

I think it would be a good idea to use this tragedy to try and improve biker/driver safety and to make our roads safer for both groups. My condolences go out to bicyclist family. I think they have a very valid point that this should be discussed in another forum out of respect to them.

I'll be there shortly after 5pm to pay respects and mark this sad, sad day. I hope to see some of you there.

'Till the wheels come off.

I am very sorry to hear this. I used to commute to work 4 days a week (10 miles!) but 99% of it was on the Burke Gilman Trail. My SO rides to work frequently (to Everett!) and he is very cautious...he was once hit by a car near Leschi when he commuted to Renton. (hit and run.) He was recently almost hit by a car making a right turn from the middle lane up north. I make a point of NOT riding on arterials when I ride, but rather, ride through the neighborhood, for just this reason.

My condolences to the family and friends of the rider. We all need to be more mindful of bicycles sharing the road. That said, bike riders need to be mindful of what they are doing, as well. (I am NOT assigning any blame to the unfortunate victim in this case.) But one day, as I was exiting WAMU on 22nd, I looked both ways, eased my car forward to see around the parked cars, looked again, and was HIT by a girl on a bike. She was riding against traffic, up the street.I could just as easily have hit HER. (Also, she had no helmet...which, IMHO is the height of negligence.) So, we all need to be more careful.

(BTW, I'm pretty sure the van driver will be charged with vehicular homicide. A U-turn is not legal.)

I just want to reiterate that the world is slightly darker today. He was a wonderful person who was very loved. He was smart, funny, caring, and full of life. He was passionate about cycling. He commuted everyday multiple miles to work in the snow, rain, ice, dark, without fail. I am sure many of you who live in Ballard have passed him on occasion as he rode up and down that hill. My heart goes out to all his friends and family.

What a terrible thing to happen :( so sad.
I drive 24th nearly every day. People drive down that hill way too fast. I've also seen many cyclists riding dangerously fast down that hill too and have swerved to the left to avoid them even though they are in the bike lane. With those kinds of speeds on a bike, if something happens and the person totally eats it, there is barely any time for a driver to react. There is not much room to share, and its a scary drive.

Also- even though cycling on the sidewalk is legal please be extremely careful. I was fortunate enough to have a friend grab me by the collar of my shirt and pull me aside as I was exiting a bar, as a cyclist was heading down fremont ave on a sidewalk easily going 35-40 mph. I would have been seriously hurt had it not been for my friend to pull me out of the way.

god bless the family.

Joshua,

First, get off my case, I didn't direct any of my comments at you personally.

Second, as Cyclocrossmechanic was saying everyone using the road is responsible for their actions and as Rob pointed out bicycles and cars fall under the same rules of the road. I am not "blaming" the motorist, its just that the evidence we have so far from the posts of the witnesses to the accident indicate that the van may have made a u-turn which is dangerous and illegal. It's quite possible that the cyclist was riding too fast for conditions/ability too, most "accidents" have more than one cause.

Blaming the intersection for this death is also stupid because anyone using the road is responsible for operating their vehicle safely regardless of the conditions. If that intersection scares you use another route.

I was driving my daughter to school today headed west on 65th and witness a person giving the cyclist CPR next to the van.

This was not in the intersection of 24 and 65, it was on 24 south of 65th, right in front of the Viking Tavern. Across the street there is a bus stop, so no parking. I think the van was in the bus stop then went to make a U turn. This would make it so the bike lane was on the left side of the van. The Van could have been sitting in the bus stop for a while before making it’s move, so the person on the bike did not know of the U turn plan.

I think the person in the van did not see the bike coming down the hill. The van had limited widows (contractor type). Adding to the lack of visibility.

When I went by no emergency vehicles were present. By the time, I dropped my kid off at school and came back, two cops and a fire truck.

Sorry to learn the cyclist did not make it…..

I like the blog and feel it adds to the community. I don’t think this is the time or place for a massive debate regarding Ped, cycle, car laws, you can find all of that through google if you need.

Please if you drive, ride a bike, moped or scooter, be the best you can. Life is too short as it is.

Holy shit!

The person killed in this tragic accident was my friend of many years. I live very close to where the accident occurred and bike through this intersection myself almost every day. I would just like to say that he was a magnificent person and a real jewel to this community. Out of respect to his family I don’t really want to say more. I am devastated by his loss. I just want everyone in Ballard to keep his family in your thoughts and I hope his memory lives on in his friends and this community.

Please have some respect for the situation. This isn’t the forum to debate auto/bike rules. My family and friends know the person that was killed and it sickens me to think that rather than showing compassion you would rather argue with one another and point fingers. It is a truly sad day, he had a family that will no longer have him in their lives. Say a prayer for them, and if nothing else, show support and respect on this forum and use other avenues to have your debate!

@Rob (88) Yeilding to peds is a very touchy subjet for me. I have a bus pass, and walk almost everywhere.

Like everyone else here, I have been so threatened by the poor judgement of everyone with a machine and a wheel, that issue about keeping peds safe on a sidewalk is a touchy subject with me. As a walker where else can I go?

Honestly, I don't care if a biker is on the sidewalk, they just need to follow the rules. Go slow around walkers, provide distance for passing, and use a voice or a bell. In my expereince with bikers on the sidewalk, they are people trying to preserve their speed.

I'm pro-Bike, in that I like the idea of people saving on gas and getting exercise. I've certainly seen it work in Europe, where more people ride than drive. It makes for a slower, more connected community, where most people shop and entertain locally. It's great.
To reply to michncraig: it's not too much to ask drivers to watch out for cyclists, if cyclists speed up and slow down to follow the flow of car traffic. If traffic is crawling along at 10mph, then it's unreasonable to ask a driver to watch out for a cyclist zooming by on the shoulder at 35mph.

Honestly, many of the bikers I've seem behave as if they're trying to kill themselves. I was at an intersection and after checking traffic, proceeded to make a right turn. Unbeknownst to me, at the same instant some biker swerved into the shoulder and tried to pass me on the right. He slammed on his brakes and slid to a halt, and had the nerve to shout a curse as I drove away. Trust me: if he'd of hit me, it'd not only be his nosebleed on my hood, it'd be his ass in court.

It's simple: if a bike is on the road, it should behave like a car. That means that if the cars are stacked up waiting for someone to turn, the bike should wait too--weaving around traffic, slipping into the shoulder, or cutting red lights is stupid and dangerous.

Anyway: I agree with Cyclo that this tragedy was no accident. This was 100% preventable. Someone screwed up, and it resulted in a death.

@michncraig (93) - when you funnel bicyclist down a hill into a busy intersection with cars parked along the side (that might open their doors at anytime) with a center turn lane and no turn signals so people have to pull out and turn on the yellow or the red. With a e/w road that some people treat as 2 lane and some people treat as 4 lanes if they are taking a turn. I don't think it is fair to anybody. It is an unsafe intersection. And it was made less safe by adding a bike lane that bicyclist don't feel safe riding on when they go the speed the hill encourages them to go.

@michncraig - None of us know for certain what happened yet. Jumping to conclusions so you can blame the motorist isn't helpful.

@Doc (89) - Bikes on the road are already under the same regulations as cars, they must be able to stop safely and not have missing/defective equipment. That being said, stopping distance for a bike is often longer than drivers might suspect. Good cyclists take this into account, but it's always helpful if drivers give room and avoid suddenly turning in front of a cyclist.

@47

"Frankly, I think it is simply unfair to drivers to add a whole extra category of things to watch out for. A person can only keep track of so many things at once, adding bicycles to a complicated intersection is just too much to ask."

Too much to ask for drivers to watch out for cyclists?

B.S.

I hope the city finally does something about this intersection. I complain about this intersection almost everyday. It needs to have left turn lights. The cars coming down 24th NEED TO SLOW DOWN. The only changes to take a left onto 65th is during a yellow light which means you go fast and hope no one is in the sidewalk.

So, now if you pull a u-turn in front of someone on a bike it's their fault if they can't stop in time?

I don't think there is any requirement for CARS to have brake inspections. Stop blaming the cyclists just because you don't ride.

@michncraig - Did I say a single thing about the bicyclist being at fault? People sure are jumping to conclusions here.

speaking of regulation, what about requiring bicycles to have adequate braking ability, which more often than not, isn't the case with many fixed gear or single speed bikes.

@ Edog (75) ...wow. Let me clarify what I meant, same privileges as pedestrians with respect to cars. For example, a car has to yield for a bike in a crosswalk same as they would for a pedestrian. I still do not advocate bikes on sidewalks, although there are a couple exceptions, it's usually not a great idea.

If the van driver executed a U-turn in traffic, I'd guess it was illegal and that the driver might be at fault:

The law is defined in RCW 46.61.295:

(1) The driver of any vehicle shall not turn such vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction [AKA a U turn] unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic.

(2) No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve, or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade, where such vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within 500 feet.

tragic event, i am saddened that someone died and that another person is saddled with that for the rest of their life.

There was also an accident around 1:00pm Yesterday (Tuesday) involving a motorcycle on 24th and 64th...

Seriously sad. It sounds like the Seattle bike community lost another friend.

Thank you for the updates/news. Very sad. I'm a regular bike commuter as well (and Ballard resident), so this is extremely sobering. Thank you for keeping the community posted.

Looking at the Ballard News Tribune pics, it looks like the accident happened after the intersection, not in it. My guess is the cyclist was in the lane or getting into the left turn/center lane to go left and the van made an unexpected u-turn. This exact scenario happened to me, but luckily at slow speed and I walked away. Seems like just a very tragic accident. I can't help wondering if it's someone I know. I feel terrible for everyone involved.

"When you overcomplicate a intersection without good lights or planning you are increasing the odds of accident. "

I understand where you're coming from. However, this particular intersection isn't complicated at all. At least not when compared to others in Seattle to say nothing of other cities - ever been to Boston? Now that city has some complicated intersections!

You seem to be contending that accidents are best reduced through more signage and road design. I disagree with that. The better way to reduce accidents is tougher licensing and driver education. America already has more traffic lights than many other nations yet we still have far more accidents. Why is that? Go to Paris and you'll see way more cyclists (none wearing helmets) than you do in Seattle as well as tons of kamikaze scooters. All of them driving in traffic on cobblestone roads that don't even have lines painted on them! Many smaller intersections didn't even have stop signs and major intersections still have roundabouts instead of traffic lights. Despite this, French roads are still safer than they are in this country.

When you put up a traffic light you basically shift the burden of safety from the driver to the traffic light and the city. This isn't good - just think of how many times you've been at a light, had it turn green and started to go only to see a red light running go sailing by. Poor road design can contribute to accidents but not nearly to the extent of poor driving. Instead of spending more money on yet more traffic lights (which in turn create yet more congestion and pollution) I'd rather see that money spent on tougher licensing requirements and tougher traffic enforcement. If you kill or seriously injure someone through your negligence you shouldn't be allowed to drive for MANY years (if ever!) yet the current system instead only requires that you pay a minor fine and *maybe* lose your license for a short period of time. The dangers are too great and right now the punishments are way too small.

Sorry, I left an extra call for respect in there.....

are you Sheila?

Well I'm with boardbrown @ 74.

A dude is freakin dead, not coming home, and all people can do is piss and moan about how the "other" group or person is a moron and keeping the world from being a utopia.

From the report it sounds like the accicent had nothing to do with the intersection, riding on sidewalks etc. Someone made a u-turn without looking and killed someone. Tragic mistake.

Show some respect for the person's family.

have some respect.

I'm with Joshua on this one.

Sorry, missed the earlier ped post on the same. Just feel strongly about that point!

This is only a few blocks from my house, and I bike down 65th starting at 15th every day on the way to work. My thoughts go out to the families and friends of everyone involved.

Just to add some food for thought on being aware:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

"So let me get this Cyclo, you want to outlaw stupidity and it’s incumbent realities? T"

No but I am saying if you're stupid and hurt someone it should cost you dearly. Right now it doesn't. People kill people by not paying attention and only get fined a few hundred dollars. People run red lights, speed, and otherwise drive in a dangerous manner and receive trivial punishments for it.

Also while we can't outlaw stupidity we can reduce it through tougher driver education and licensing requirements. Statistics have proven that this works. Just look at a lot of European countries which have far fewer fatalities for the same amount of miles driven.

"cyclists get the same privileges as peds" WRONG!

Cyclists must always yeild to Peds on sidewalks!

Section 11.44.120 RIDING ON A SIDEWALK OR PUBLIC PATH. Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.

I think these debates are good if they get folks thinking about safety. Let's not forget a brother died today. I'll be there w/ flowers on my way home today...

@elle (63) - riding side by side isn't always stupid, some times it's the safest way to go. If you are moving with the flow of traffic, "taking the lane" in this manner usually discourages drivers from passing too close or performing other less then ideal maneuvers around cyclists, as well as making them more visible. If you are moving significantly slower than traffic, then you are supposed to be as far right as is safe...which isn't necessarily the bike lane either. Just saying...

We're talking about percentages here. Not incompetence. When you overcomplicate a intersection without good lights or planning you are increasing the odds of accident. Just throwing line of paint and making a bike lane is a short-sighted solution that makes a city politician feel like they've done something. Reactively accusing me of eating a big-mac, adjusting my radio, reading my email on my phone and yelling at my kids because I say "This isn't a safe intersection" isn't very productive. It might make you feel better about yourself for a few hours, but it does nothing to prevent the next accident that is going to happen at that intersection in 3 months.

We should be able to avoid stupidity w/out having to outlaw it.

The Ballard News Tribune web site has a couple of photos.

Joshua, how can you distinguish the difference between anger, and say, frustration by reading typed words? Besides, cyclocrossmechanic is correct on all points.

So let me get this Cyclo, you want to outlaw stupidity and it's incumbent realities? Thanks for playing the blame game.

Joshua,

As a driver I challenge myself all the time to pay more attention to what's going on around me. It's my duty as the driver of a vehicle that has the potential to cause a serious injury or fatality if I am involved in a collision that my attentiveness could have prevented, even if that collision isn't "my fault". Even in a more complex intersection (which this one isn't particularly), and even if my kids are fighting in the back seat, which kids sometimes do. This is defensive driving, plain and simple.

As a bike commuter, I wish more drivers would challenge themselves in the same way. There are going to be more and more bikes on the roads in coming years, and they are going to be sharing the roadway with drivers more and more often. Better bike facilities would help. Better behavior from drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians would help even more.

Here's a street view of the 24th Ave NW & NW 65th St intersection, by the way:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&...

No, just annoyed at people who can't seem to be bothered with caring about the safety of other people and then making truly pathetic excuses for it. Maybe you don't think 40,000 dead a year is a big deal.

No excuses. People need to pay attention, not be in such a hurry, and follow the law. And yes, that includes cyclists!!!

@Cyclocrossmechanic (62) - You have some real anger issues.

@JohnCToddJr (51) - I understand the notion that if we were all just more careful it would all work out, but in reality I think that starts to break down. For example, my understanding is that it is illegal, or at the very least frowned upon to pass people on the right. Why? Because no matter how much people pay attention to the road, the more ordered we can make it the safer it is for everyone.

If you think about it, at that intersection a driver should be paying attention to 7 lanes of potential traffic (3 car lanes n/s, 2 bike lanes n/s, 2 car lanes e/w) and people making left turns without a direction arrow (I don't think that they have put a direction arrow in their yet.) That is not a safe environment to add bicycles which are much less predictable then vehicles and often believe that they have special priviledges regarding right of way.

Bikes, through no fault of their own, on bike paths throw a lot of the rules regarding where to look and the assumptions that people make about roads out the window. Bike's pass on the right all the time, bikes enter and exit lanes without signals constantly, bikes do not slow down or pay attention to cars turn signals (I take a right at Mike Chilli all the time and am terrified of a bicycle running into me even when I am far ahead and have my turn signal on. Bicyclist are contantly trying to preserve their momentum (understandably!) but it often prevents them from making prudent decisions.

I really don't think it is the bicyclist fault. I'm sure I would take the same safety short cuts if I rode to work as well. I think it is really a failure in city planning.

my husband is a bike rule nazi and looked up all the codes. its perfectly legal to ride side by side. stupid and annoying but totally legal.

this accident scares the crap out of me as my husband commutes everyday via bike. uggh!

Joshua: If you can't keep an eye out for other vehicles you have absolutely no business driving. PERIOD. Please stop before you kill a small child crossing the street or some other innocent person.

What other things are you too busy keeping track of? Your iPhone? Your radio? The person next to you? What? The only thing you should be paying attention to is other traffic (which includes cyclists and pedestrians) Spare me the whole "it's too much to expect of drivers" crap.

"Complicated intersection"? Are you for real?? It's ONE lane in each direction plus a center lane and a bike lane. That's FIVE lanes total. Is that really too much for you to handle??? Seriously?? You really need to get out and travel if you think that's a "complicated" intersection.

Regardless of who is right or wrong in this particular case it is an absolute FACT that inattentive motorists violently kill more Americans each year than all the guns, gang bangers, pit bulls, airplane crashes, and Al Qaeda terrorists COMBINED. The vast majority of these deaths are not accidents, they're the result of driver error. They're the result of people not paying attention to what they're doing. That is NOT an accident. An accident is something you can not prevent. Failure to pay attention is 100% preventable.

Reality is we give a driving license to just about anyone in this country as though it were some kind of Constitutional right (it isn't) and then when that person kills someone they more often than not receive a minor fine and a slap on the wrist. The WA driving test is a pathetic joke. I aced the test without even bothering to look at the manual. The behind the wheel portion is also a joke. Drivers should be required to have formal training before getting a license as they do in other countries. I also think fines for dangerous traffic violations (running red lights, failure to yield, drunk driving etc) need to be drastically higher than they are now. If running a red light - one of the leading causes of fatal accidents - was a $2000 fine people might just pull their craniums out of their rectums and pay attention to the world around them and stop killing 40,000+ people a year!

And for the record, I do strongly support requiring cyclists to be licensed if they're on the roads. I also strongly support the police every time they bust a cyclist for riding illegally. There are plenty of idiots on both sides.

@Cosmo - You posted it first, looks like I owe you the beer :)

Ok, so it's not illegal. My mistake. But I'm suprised. It's illegal in most other cities.

Wow, forgive my earlier post's tone. My thoughts go out to the families of the biker and the driver.

When on a bike, act like those who claim the majority of the "turf" you are on-
So if you are riding on a sidewalk, don't go faster than a pedestrian can move...
If riding in the street, follow rules that cars have to- don't drive side by side, or cut through red lights, go faster than the speed limit etc...

We'll all be safer!

Jinx!

From the P-I -- Perhaps about the same cyclist:

UPDATE: Bicyclist killed

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattle911/a...

@Rob (50) - You are right (that's what I get for looking at the first web page that pops up in google!) Here's the law:

As an example from Seattle bike code;:
Section 11.44.120 RIDING ON A SIDEWALK OR PUBLIC PATH. Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.
Source(s):
Seattle bike code;
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikecode.htm

Although it sounds like you could make a case it is illegal to ride more than walking speed when on a sidewalk (just for your knowledge when you get sued for hitting some poor pedestrian).

And it sounds like you need to completely yield to pedestrians, so "cyclists get the same privileges as peds" is in fact not true.

Boardbrown and Joshua, FYI:
from http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikecode.htm section 11.44.120:
"Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian."

I believe it is indeed LEGAL to bike on the sidewalk in Seattle if it makes you more comfortable. It's certainly probably safer for some kids to cycle on the sidewalk.

That said, as a bike commuter interested in getting somewhere on time, I wouldn't ride on the sidewalk much, certainly not on 24th down the hill. It's a tricky and exhilarating ride, it can be a lot of fun to keep flying and try to time the lights and swerve the cars so you can keep up 35mph from 75th to Market... but I think that's a really bad idea. If you are going too fast to come to a complete stop for any traffic signal or unexpected car behavior you're at serious risk. The light at 65th is right in the middle of the fastest part of the ride, but you really need to slow in anticipation of that light changing and cars doing wacky shit at that intersection.

Personally I prefer to ride over to 28th even though it's out of the way. It is a wide side street, has little car traffic and few traffic islands. There's plenty time to react while going a decent pace of 20 mph or so on this street and it's a lot more pleasant. 28th ave puts you out pretty close to the Locks which links to a much more pleasant route to downtown through the "Industrial Wasteland Trail" (my term) and the Myrtle Edwards Trail.

Come on folks, let's not get into a car vs. bicycle argument here and which one is morally superior. Accidents happen, sometimes the bike's fault, sometimes the car, sometimes both, sometimes neither. Let's just remember that tonight someone has lost a son, father, brother or husband.

For the record, sidewalk riding is legal, but dangerous because of visibility problems and conflicts with peds.
Bicyclists tend to ride on arterials because they are better maintained, and because most businesses and other destinations are ON ARTERIALS.
Fingerpointing and words like "moron" do not help here: it's everyone's responsibility to ride and drive predictably, at a safe speed, and watch out for traffic in whatever form.

Rounder,

Bike riders are not obligated to stay to the side of the road, in fact in some situations the safest thing for the bicyclist (and everyone else) to do is to occupy the middle of the lane like any other vehicle would. This is the law, and it it has nothing to do with politeness. It has to do with safety.

boardbrown,

It is not illegal for bicyclists to ride on the sidewalk, though they are required to yield right-of-way to pedestrians while on a sidewalk.

Joshua,

It's not unfair at all to ask that drivers pay attention to what's going on around them. All it requires is that drivers pay more attention to the road, and less attention to what's going on in their car. Yes, this requires an adjustment, but everybody is safer when that adjustment is made.

@boardbrown (43) - Not illegal to ride on sidewalks in Seattle and while on a sidewalk or crosswalk, cyclists get the same privileges as peds. Not the safest or best idea usually, but definitely legal.
Everyone proposing moving bikes off arterial's... I commute to downtown on my bike every day. I have to be as alert on side streets as arterial's and they take significantly longer. On side streets visibility at intersections is terrible, drivers don't pay much attention coming out of driveways/parking spots, plus the roundabouts make side streets a pain.

Yes, I totally agree with boardbrown. Bikes on sidewalks are dangerous ..... for PEDESTRIANS ! A friend was seriously injured by a delivery cyclist speeding on the sidewalk. There are many more 'moron' drivers than cyclists. Cyclists who commute must learn survival skills just to ride. Few motorists appreciate the right to the road they must share with bicycles, it's not a matter of politeness, it's a matter of survival.

There is no safe reason for bike lanes on arterials (particularily during morning and evening commutes) I experience similar problems on 3rd NW, 8th Ave and 24th. It is so much safer to
take the next street over. It is easier for bikers to react and respond to traffic changes but being that the crazy's are out there both as bikers and drivers, who really wants to take that chance?

@Cyclocrossmechanic (41) - Frankly, I think it is simply unfair to drivers to add a whole extra category of things to watch out for. A person can only keep track of so many things at once, adding bicycles to a complicated intersection is just too much to ask.

A U turn on 24th? I have seen some near accidents with drivers making U turns on Greenwood Avenue. It doesn't seem like a good move in the city at rush hour or any time.

@Rounder (40) - If you're an adult you really shouldn't ride on the sidewalk. It is illegal and very dangerous, especially for children walking on the sidewalk.

Thanks iloveseatown. Darn - I was hoping you were mistaken.

Rounder, yes there are some moron riders and drivers out there. But hold your judgement unless you know something specific about this accident. Don't lump everyone together.

And it's illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for pedestrians.

This is what I saw, what another witness saw and what the police seem to be confirming right now. The van looks like it may have been attempting a u-turn, but it didn't get far. The bicyclist had weaved through the lanes, although I'm not sure if he was trying to also turn left or if he was just trying to get around traffic. It really happened fast. The bicycle isn't mangled though, one of the investigators just rode it away and to their truck. The driver of the van is still very shook up and she feels terrible.
I am very impressed with the fast response and with the good samaritans who were so willing to help. There was an off duty fireman who was right there and who started cpr, and everyone else was very calm and helpful.
The whole thing seems like a tragic accident, it seems to me that both parties were wrong, but knowing who was wrong or right doesn't make it better for anyone.

Man, this is one day after I posted on another story about how it's better for cyclists to not ride on arterials and use side streets instead. I used to ride down 24th but now avoid it. Just too many motorists not paying attention. Hard to say if that was the situation in this particular case. Hopefully people will reserve judgment until the facts are known.

This is a tragic accident, but I hate those bike riders that have no care for cars and ride in the middle of the road. I almost hit some moron bike rider the other day as pulled a left right in front of me as im doing 30 down the street. When i ride in the summer i always ride on the side walk, i dont trust cars. I just wish bike riders were more polite and stay to the side of the road.

Not to my knowledge. And I don't know how to go about finding out.

I use 24th from time to time on my bicycle, but I'll pull off of the bike lane and into the general lane anytime I get above 25 mph and I won't pass cars on the right. It isn't hard for me to exceed the speed limit going down this road on my bicycle.

Given the downhill slope, I wish SDOT would remove the bike lane here and replace it with sharrows placed in the middle of the general travel lane.

I thank the GeekySwedes for their tasteful coverage that reminds us to be cautious.

I still don't understand the accident. Is Kass right? Did the bycyclist actually try to pass a car in the LEFT turn lane on the LEFT (post #13)? Doesn't that imply they were heading toward oncoming traffic? That can't be right.

boardbrown,

have they released the name of the cyclist?
thank you for clarifying iloveseatown

Thanks for clarifying Sweedes. I'm actually breathing a small sigh of relief now since I don't recognize the bicycle. But it doesn't lessen the tradgedy. Godspeed to all those involved and affected.

Would any fellow cyclists wish to meet there on our way home to pay respects and provide moral support. 5:00? 5:30?

Margaret: it's a radio that will let you listen to the police radio traffic. You can pick one up at any Radioshack

iloveseatown,

what is a scanner? What did you mean by that?

Hasfrau,

I am listening to a scanner.

iloveseatown: How did you find that out?

Unfortunately this was a fatal crash. My hart goes out to everyone who's lives will be forever effected by this tragedy.

Folks, not looking for photos of the injured bicyclist -- as you know, that's not our style and doesn't do anyone any good. But a big accident that shuts down a major roadway merits a tasteful photo that illustrates the story. We added a small screen grab from KIRO's chopper that shows the bicycle next to the van -- an image that helps reinforce the reminder that drivers and bicyclists alike should be aware of their surroundings and respect each other's place on the road.

I saw the aftermath once the cyclist had been transported. The bike was all mangled. This was the first place I thought to check for news. I always avoid 24th. I'd rather go down a side street. I hope the cyclist is okay.

We don't need to see photos of the accident scene for Christ's sake.

I bike down to the gym and back most mornings, and I avoid 24th like the plague. I use 22nd as it is much quieter, and traffic is slower. Those bike lanes on 24th don't make me feel safe at all, especially not after driving on 24th and seeing what other drivers do.

I think the bike boulevard on Fremont Ave from south of 105th to Woodland park is a good model for moving bike traffic to non-arterial streets. They just need to put in a light at 105th and Fremont so that it safely connects with the Interurban Trail at 110th and Fremont. 17th would be a good bike boulevard.

I appreciate knowing what's going on and reading the posts but I think that asking for photos of the accident scene is inappropriate given the seriousness of the injuries. I think we can all read and understand (without any photos) what happened and how bad it was.

Awful. This stuff gives me a stomach ache. I'm praying the victim isn't someone I know. There is alot of us at the top of that hill that cycle down 24th every morning.

And it's a scary ride every time.

I hate that the city puts bike lanes on the same roads as arterial traffic. 24th Ave NW is good to bike, 22nd Ave NW is a much better ride for cyclists between 85th and Ballard. Similarly bike lane on 8th ave NW, it's a terrible ride. Situating all bike lanes a block off of arterials and keeping good distance between bikes and cars could save lots of grief for everyone.

that is tragic. a somber reminder to both drivers & cyclists to share the roads & be careful.

Van was across the north bound lane, perpendicular to traffic flow w/bumper facing the east curb. It looked like it was executing a u-turn, but I'm speculating as there were several cars between mine and it. My view of the impact was blocked by the Jeep in front of me.

I very much appreciate this blog. If someone doesn't like the fact that it's getting to be "as bad as the local news" then don't read the blog!!!

My prayers are with the victim. I hope he or she is going to be okay.

Ric, was the van heading south also? When you passed the van was it on your right or left?

The cyclist trailed me down the hill as I drove. The light for N-S traffic was red. He moved over to the bike lane as I slowed. The light turned green, then I lost sight of him. When traffic moved forward, I saw the cyclist pinned under the left rear wheel of the van. It happened in an instant. Then the van rolled backward off the cyclists. Several motorists stopped, one I acknowledged was calling 911. I drove to Ballard FD, and two engines rolled as I got there. Kudos to them, they literally were rolling within minutes. If cyclist is still alive, he is greviously injured.

The police just told me they expect this block to be closed for at least 4 hours while they investigate. It is open to metro only.

Nordic woman, that was a motorcycle accident. The motorcyclyst was thrown completely clear of his bike, so you couldn't see it.

I could see a helicopter hovering in that general area, although I couldn't tell it was that close. I thought maybe there was something going on further east, at one of the banks, or the HS.

I hope the injuries are minor. I personally try to avoid driving south on 24th in the morning. Some cyclists can really pick up speed going down that long, gradual incline, and they seem to come out of nowhere. Fortunately, I never had or even witnessed an accident, but I saw many close calls.

This is EXACTLY the type of information that should be on a community blog. If a major intersection is closed or restricted, those of us who live here want to know about it.

The van was in the left turn lane, and the bicyclist tried to pass the van on the left. I live right there, saw it happen. Its truly horrible.

There was an accident at THE SAME SPOT yesterday afternoon about 3:00. I was driving north on 24th and there was a youg man lying in the road and several cars stopped. I didn't see a bicylce; my impression was that he had been hit by a car while trying to cross the street in the middle of the block,

Pooh pooh on "q"! I want to know what's going on when I hear ambulances screaming for 5 minutes from every direction. (Thought a bank robbery was in progress.) And as I learned the hard way Friday, I like to know when streets are closed so that I can avoid them in a timely manner. (Anybody know how the victims are doing?)

I saw the scene but had to get to work- what I heard was that a van tried to make a U-turn and the bicyclist got sideswiped - both travelling downhill. Did the van squeeze into the bike lane? Did the bicyclist try to pass on the left, assuming the van was turning right rather than swinging for the U-turn?

@5, I agree, q should just start his own blog.

My wife just called me and said she was heading down 24th but it was blocked off and there were a ton of emergency vehicles. MyBallard.com was the first place I looked, it doesn't get much more community oriented than this...

Keep us updated!

I HATE THAT INTERSECTION. I saw almost everyday how unsafe it is. Cars to way to fast down the hill and its impossible to turn left safely.

I for one appreciate knowing that there's an accident - I'll stay away from that intersection until it's clear.

thanks for the updates. q - accident info on 65th and 24 th doesn't get much more "community oriented". Particularly when it involves my commute of choice.

Hey "q" ... OR, you could start your own blog! You could make it "more community oriented" all you want.

@3 A community cares about the safety of its members.

This website is getting to be as bad as the local news.

How about more community oriented posts and less updates on which condos are being reviewed and which streets have horrible accidents on them.

I heard them request a "blood run" which is where a police car runs a blood sample to the hospital so they can type and cross match (or whatever it is they do) to get a blood supply ready for the incoming victim. It usually means there's been a serious accident.

It is a car vs. bike accident. I hope the bike rider is OK.