The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office recently reported that a bicyclist was killed on Saturday, Sept. 22, after colliding with a pickup truck near Brier. The bike accident occurred at Barker Road and Atlas Road at around 10:30 a.m., and the 24-year-old cyclist reportedly died at the scene.
Police indicated that the driver of the pickup truck did not appear to be intoxicated, so drunk driving isn’t thought to be a factor in the collision. However, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office intends to continue investigating the accident to determine exactly what happened.
In both Brier and Seattle, drivers of motor vehicles have a legal obligation to share the road with bicyclists. While not every bike-car collision is the fault of the motorist, too often that is the case. Operators of larger vehicles can’t enter a bicycle lane unless the driver is turning, and he or she must yield to any bicycles in the lane before entering it.
In addition, drivers of cars and trucks must yield to bicycles that are turning, stopping or making any other legal maneuver. Bicycles are not necessarily required to remain in the designated bicycle lane, and motorists must treat bikes the same as any other vehicle on the road.
In this particular collision in Brier, if police investigating the accident find that the driver of the pickup truck did not follow the rules of the road, then the family of the deceased cyclist may be entitled to compensation for his wrongful death. This kind of compensation is nothing in comparison to the family’s incalculable loss, but many people who have suddenly lost a loved one find some measure of comfort in knowing that the negligent party has been held accountable.
Source: kirotv.com, “Bicyclist killed in collision near Brier,” Sept. 22, 2012