“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>
A cyclist was struck and killed in a hit-and-run just east of Boulder, Colorado on Sunday. Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is currently searching for the driver.
CSP says the victim, a 41-year-old Broomfield man, was struck on 95th Street just north of Valmont at Avocet Lane in eastern Boulder County. According to the report, the driver of a Toyota Highlander went into the bike lane just before noon and struck the man on a bicycle. From there, the victim was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
CSP is seeking the public’s help with looking for the vehicle and driver. The vehicle description is a blue Toyota Highlander with Colorado license plate DTSG89. The vehicle reportedly has heavy front-end damage and a missing windshield, and it fled the scene north on 95th Street.
CSP is asking anyone with information to contact dispatch at (303) 239-4501 and reference case number 1D251939.
Sadly, the incident is not isolated, with four fatal vehicle crashes with pedestrian and cyclists reported in the same weekend in the Denver metro area alone.
According to local news, this is one of four back-to-back crashes from this weekend, three of them being hit-and-runs, and only one resulting in a suspect arrest so far. Statistics show that accidents between cars and cyclists and pedestrians tend to tick up as the weather warms up, but even so the number of accidents in the area recently is alarming.
The first incident occurred when a driver outside of their car was struck and killed by another driver around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday. Just 24 hours later, a pedestrian crossing the street was struck and killed. Both incidents were hit-and-runs.
“These deaths are preventable”
That’s the urgent message from The White Line Foundationa Boulder-based nonprofit formed after the death of 17-year-old cyclist Magnus White who was hit by a vehicle on a ride. Executive Director Jacqueline Claudia wrote:
“Magnus White and his dad Michael rode 95th Street many times. It’s a designated bike route, it has a wide shoulder, and it has a marked and signed bike lane… Every victim is someone’s child, friend, or partner. Leaving them in the road to die is inexcusable.”
The foundation is calling for the swift passage of the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act and demanding urgency from lawmakers, law enforcement, and prosecutors alike. They’re not alone in sounding the alarm. Local organizations It Could Be Me and Coalition 4 Cyclists shared similar sentiments with the Boulder Daily Camera.
CSP Chief Col. Matthew Packard had this to say in a press release:
“The pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities were preventable and should be a wake-up call for all of us. Don’t assume that other roadway users see you, just because you see them. Make eye contact and proceed with caution.”
From this, CSP recommends cyclists stay attentive on the roadways, use bike lanes when possible, indicate turns using hand signals, always wear a properly fitting helmet, and make eye contact with drivers rather than assuming the right of way.
Still, cyclists doing everything right can still be hit by a car. Reflective gear isn’t enough to prevent cyclists from being hit by cars, either.
Bike lanes are proven to make streets safer for everyoneand ensuring cyclists have proper infrastructure that protects them is the bare minimum.
So what can you do in the interim? Get involved. Organizations such as Coalition 4 Cyclists and The White Line Foundation are good places to start. Bike infrastructure should be the goal, but short-term action and advocacy are an absolute necessity.