Many accidents that happen in Washington are often ignored. But when a cyclist is injured or killed in crashes involving vehicles, news outlets discuss them. That’s important because it gives drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians time and space to debate these occurrences. These discussions help victims understand what happened to them so they better protect themselves in the future.
The accident that spurred reports across Washington happened early Sunday morning.
A cyclist was the victim in this accident involving a passenger vehicle. The two vehicles collided along a street in Ballard, just south of Golden Garden Park. The crash that claimed the cyclist’s life took place at about 4:30 in the morning. The driver was evaluated for impairment at the scene but officials haven’t reported on whether the incident has anything to do with intoxication or any other factor. The cyclist was declared dead at the scene.
This horrific death adds yet another victim to the list of cyclists to have lost their lives recently in accidents. The latest before this particular case involved a man who was biking along Martin Luther King Jr. when a vehicle and the cyclist crashed. The cyclist was biking to work at the time and he was declared dead at the scene.
These horrific bicycle versus vehicle accidents remind us that life is precious and valuable, and that those who are most vulnerable will always sustain injuries in an accident with a large vehicle.
As personal injury attorneys we have seen many of these horrific accidents taking place and know that everyone deserves to be treated fairly.
If you’re a driver, remember that while your car’s carcass and its safety system will work hard to protect you in the case of an accident, cyclists do not have the same privileges. Stay focused on the road and do not change lanes before making sure that it’s safe to do so. Many accidents involving vehicles and cyclists happen because drivers failed to see cyclists.
For more on this accident, follow this link.