Updated on: 11/13/2019
A bicyclist was killed in a collision with a vehicle on East Marginal Way in West Seattle Wednesday morning, prompting many people in the community to revive the discussion about bike safety and just how safe the roads in Seattle are for bicyclists.
According to multiple reports, 54-year-old Lance David was riding his bike on East Marginal Way at around 7:15 Wednesday morning. A flatbed semi truck was attempting to make a right turn onto northbound East Marginal Way South and – for reasons that have yet to be determined – the bicyclist collided with the wheels on the left side of the truck and the bicyclist went down.
Witnesses reportedly attempted to administer first aid to Mr. David while first responders were en route to the scene. Medics from the Seattle Fire Department administered CPR to Mr. David but were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were no citations issued to the driver of the semi truck at the scene of the accident, which is standard procedure for accident cases that involve serious injuries or death and require an extensive investigation. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is continuing their investigation into the accident and will provide updates as necessary.
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Since this is the first week of National Bike Month, Mr. David’s unfortunate and devastating wrongful death comes at a time where bicycle enthusiasts are more than willing to jump into the discussion about bicycle safety and what can be done to prevent fatal accidents such as this in the future.
As you can see in the picture above, some areas of East Marginal Way and other roads in the Seattle area pose a significant risk of injury to bicyclists, particularly those who ride road bikes which have much thinner tires than standard mountain bikes and can get caught in small gaps much more easily.
Aside from liability purposes, establishing the root cause of this fatal bicycle accident will help determine what safety improvements can be done to help prevent incidents like these from happening in the future. If investigators determine that the condition of the road was a significant factor in this accident, it could lead to a lawsuit against the city or entity responsible for maintaining the roadway.
Regardless of the investigators’ findings, the above photographs show that East Marginal Way is far from well-paved. The poor condition of East Marginal Way not only increases the risk of injury to innocent citizens who use the road, but also increases the chances of a municipality being held liable for a person’s injuries should an accident occur.