Seems like there's a lot of bicycle accidents in Density-ville...

By the way...read it and weep, urbists:

California Wages War On Single-Family Homes

In California, the assault on the house has gained official sanction. Once the heartland of the American dream, the Golden State has begun implementing new planning laws designed to combat global warming. These draconian measures could lead to a ban on the construction of private residences, particularly on the suburban fringe. The new legislation’s goal is to cram future generations of Californians into multi-family apartment buildings, turning them from car-driving suburbanites into strap-hanging urbanistas.

That’s not what Californians want: Some 71% of adults in the state cite a preference for single-family houses. Furthermore, the vast majority of growth over the past decade has taken place not in high-density urban centers but in lower-density peripheral areas such as Riverside-San Bernardino. Yet popular preferences mean little in a state where environmental zealotry increasingly dictates how people should live their lives.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/0023…

:(

Shut the fuck up, Bailo.

Condolences.

Hope the hit and run driver is caught soon, but I hope the driver is a nervous wreck until they do.

heart dropped :(

Sad :(

So sad. And seconding @3, put a cork in it, John.

@1-- Taking a small aspect of a story and blowing it up out of proportion to the original incident is not a Sherlock Holmes-esque exercise in intellectual insight. It's just "spin," and everyone can smell it a mile away.

What I'm saying, is that just because Fox News won't hire you, is no reason to lurk on the Slog.

@8 "Taking a small aspect of a story and blowing it up out of proportion"

Which is often what SLOG editors do. You shouldn't really feel shocked or surprised when others respond in a similar way.

As for the cyclist, was he wearing a helmet? Seems like most of these incidents where the cyclist dies on the scene or on the way to the hospital, its due to blunt trama to the head and a lack of a safety helmet.

holy crap I am so so sorry

my deepest condolences to the friends and relatives of the bicyclist

with a little patience and attention this could have been so easily avoided... I am hoping the driver knows this, but it is too late.

bikaphobia ("all the bikers I see are way too fast and run red lights derp derp") in 3....2.....1....

And we are putting all blame on the driver why? Probably mostly because the asshole hit and ran...but, what if it is the fault of something the cyclist did? They wanna cry about sharing the road, their rights, their right to stop up traffic, etc, but the bottom line is you gotta watch out for YOU. You may be right, but dead is dead. Just yesterday we had a bonehead cyclist on Broadway careen around our car, across several lanes of traffic, and right through a red light. Cyclists need to be MADE (read: TICKETED, not just warned, as the 'speeding cyclist' in West Seattle was) to follow the same traffic laws as cars if they want to use the road, but they have a serious disadvantage: you are a soft, squishy object that doesn't stand a chance against a 2-ton vehicle. You may have the right-of-way, but you might have to eat a little crow to avoid eating the pavement. Be smart, behave, and be safe!

Can't we agree that whether or not the blame was mostly the driver's, mostly the cyclist's, or shared between them, that it's sad that somebody's dead now?

Not all, opera cat, but a good percentage. Like to woman who was going to blow through a 4-way stop in the ID, and I nearly wiped her out (yes, *I* stopped at the stop sign, and saw no sign of her coming. If I had, I'd ASSUME -like an idiot, apparently- that this cyclist was going to OBEY THE LAW AND STOP FOR THE STOPSIGN!!!!). She managed to stop and then waved me through as if she had some authority.

Yeah, agree with 13...helmet only protects just so much. As I said, you're a soft squishy object facing a 2-ton steel monster...you're gonna lose...whether you're right or wrong, or the SUV driver is a jackass who was in too much of a hurry, or busy TEXTING while driving...

A reporter on Dexter just recounted it as the driver was trying to take a left and 'punched it' so he/she could beat oncoming cars. The bicyclist was in the bike lane. There is no stop sign or light at that intersection so the bicyclist had the right of way.

i like how is an "SUV" not a "car"

frizzelle = my second least favorite stranger employee

@9: At that stretch of Denny, at that hour of the day, a vast majority of the cyclists are wearing helmets. If I were in Vegas I'd put money down that this cyclist had a helmet. But I guess we'll see.

Man whenever someone starts talking about how bike riders need to watch it, cause dead is dead. I think about all the times I should be able to use a firearm for any reason, as a constitutional right, and then complain about people who should get out of my way.

Driving isn't a right. And "accident" is just a very pretty PC word for negligence.

6k people died for terror, and we spend billions on the TSA to stop it. > 6k people die a year in cars, and we blame the people who get hit.

The leading cause of death for americans is driving.

"...SUV with tinted windows and a chrome rack on the roof..."

So I assume they're concentrating South of the West Seattle Bridge?

Ugh, stfu. A person was killed. I ride a bike & wear a helmet.
I drive a car & wear seatbelt.
These things happen.

My condolences to the cyclist and his family. I am happy to hear he isn't dead.

I hope SPD finds the driver soon. That person needs to be off the streets.

People need to have more respect for the fact that they are operating a large, very dangerous hunk of metal. I hope the biker is ok, and I hope the driver spends plenty of time in prison serving as a reminder to everyone to be more careful.

@18, at least you're keeping score!

A TD and a two-point conversion and Frizzelle could pull ahead of Eli or Bethany, don't you think? And Megan, I just don't think she's got the defense to stay up there all season. Who's going to make the playoffs?

@28, people also need to have more respect for the fact that they are unprotected by a surround of steel when they're on bikes. I'm not going to believe the report at this time that the driver 'punched it' and the cyclist was just groovy in the bike lane, because, hell, they told us the cyclist was DEAD...apparently, they know not how to report. Cyclists, as well as pedestrians, as a previous commenter noted, are unbelievably arrogant in this city! You go head-to-head with a vehicle, no matter how right you are, you're gonna lose! Concede, dammit! Or we'll put on your tombstone, "I was right!"

@27 Dial it back, your troll is showing... like, OBVIOUSLY showing. John Bailo shows more restraint.

@32, feeling is mutual. You're an idiot.

I can't believe people are debating who's at fault when the initial report said the cyclist had died. I'm beyond happy to hear that they are alive, even if not out of the clear. Anyone remember when a motorist pushed a couple on a tandem off the road in california, making an orphan out of their young daughter?
This is the kind of knee jerk reaction I expect out of the westboro baptist church, not from readers of the Seattle Stranger.
There are laws governing riding a bike on the street, laws that work both ways, motorists. Saying that 'well, I'm in a car, forgive my actions' is like saying 'i have a gun, do what I want'. Getting a license involves you passing a test about the rules of the road and who has the right of way. Most cyclists are also drivers and most (the exception is not the rule) follow traffic laws well. You don't notice the cyclists riding past you in gridlock who have helmets, have lights and stop at red lights. The ones you notice are the ones who do stupid thing. Same as you don't really pay attention to the hundreds of motorists on the freeway driving along with you till someone starts weaving in and out of traffic at 90.
Driving is easy, environmentally destructive, and expensive. That barista at your local coffee shop with the really sweet ass you can't stop checking out? A cyclist.
I'll gladly discuss cycling in the city with anyone. Please, tell me why I'm wrong. But bring facts, not opinions.

Like my dear mum always reminds me when I borrow the Suburban - "Remember, this is two tons of truck! It takes a long time to stop! This is a killing machine, so be careful."

Two tons of truck going 25mph would be enough to make you dead. Angry pro-car commenters must be driving practical compact cars.

Yeah, last fall a car ran stop sign and I ended up with a concussion and a fractured skull, (yes I was wearing a helmet, and a yellow construction vest) the driver said, "I didn't see him till he flew over my hood." The next day when I regained consciousness I found out that no ticket was issued. Cars speed constantly- you can test this by rigidly driving the speed limit and see how many line up behind you- and roll five or six feet past most stop signs before stopping. If you're sticking to the right side of the lane on your bike that five or six feet is enough to hit you. It’s time to take the technological fix. Every car should be equipped with a GPS and cellular modem for 100% compliance with speed limits and stop signs- exceed the speed limit and a ticket is mailed to the owner of the car. The savings on enforcement, insurance, fuel consumption, and improved safety would more than make up for the cost of the network.

@15 I don't see your point, you say the cyclist stopped for you to go through, what more do you want? I suspect she waved you through because most drivers stare at you like slack jawed yokels while you're stopped at a stop sign on your bike.

any update on this story? comments in the seattle times are saying that the cyclist has now passed away. any info stranger?

"And we are putting all blame on the driver why? Probably mostly because the asshole hit and ran...but, what if it is the fault of something the cyclist did? "

Maybe if you read the article you wouldn't need to ask dumb questions.

@47, at the time, details were not known. The other details came out AFTER these initial reports, along with the initial report the cyclist had DIED. Updates are sketchy at best.

@44, the cyclist did NOT stop at the stop sign, she was blowing straight through and we both managed to stop before I creamed her. I'm sorry if my story was unclear on that. She did NOT stop at the sign, I had stopped at mine, she was not even in sight, as I was going through the intersection, she came screaming down the hill and right through. I swerved and hit my brakes, she hit her brakes, then looked at me and waved me on through like she was some damned traffic cop.

@42, yes, bikes should be ticketed for not stopping at signs, just because the ONE car who hit you wasn't ticketed for going through a stop sign doesn't mean no one gets ticketed for driving through. Nowhere did I state that ALL accidents are the fault of the cyclist. YES, drivers need to be careful, but that stands in regards to any other vehicle on the road. What I AM saying is you fucking dumb-assed cyclists need to obey the fucking rules of the road if you want to be considered vehicles, and stop being fucking douchebags in traffic! No, not ALL cyclists are douchebags in traffic, either, but enough of them that they make all cyclists look bad! By the way, I hope you are suing the fuck out of the driver...problem is, with the dumb-assed cops around here NOT ticketing the driver, it'll be harder to prove in court. Hell, a friend of mine was a flagger with the state and had a drunk 15 year old who'd stolen mommy's car blow through and hit one of those enormous electronic reader signs. Crushed her legs, was told she'd never walk again. Tell it to her today when she's out on the dancefloor. BUT...15 y/o pretty much got away with it, despite having no drivers' license, no insurance, MIP, in a 'stolen' car, causing a serious accident! My friend did get a settlement...$15/mo. for ten years. Whoopee.

officially deceased. good job SUV

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo…

just in case it's lost in text, i mean that rather sarcastically.

"@47, at the time, details were not known. The other details came out AFTER these initial reports, along with the initial report the cyclist had DIED. Updates are sketchy at best. "

The text of the linked story must have changed substantially, then, because it makes it pretty clear that witnesses reported the SUV being at fault. There is no indication on the KOMO site that this important detail was added recently, or after publication. On the other hand, I have pretty clear evidence that you make mistakes, and frequently. Between these two pieces of evidence, I will continue believing you are completely in the wrong.

Anonymous commentators with such authoritative handles as 'bit me, dickhead,' or a respected news outlet? I just don't know who to trust!

THANK YOU, #50!!! That is so terribly sad. I was really hoping they could pull through. Dammit.
@51, how often do you see cars actually pull the stunts that cyclists do? Not to mention CYCLISTS do not get ticketed, even if they are witnessed by a cop, whereas someone in a CAR will get ticketed. Cyclists want to be considered vehicles only when it's convenient to them. They skid between moving vehicles, then if they get hit, it's the big, bad car's fault that they 'drive' like an idiot. Don't get me wrong, car drivers drive like idiots, too, but usually on a city street (not ALWAYS), a collision is less likely to result in a fatality.
Damn. So sad. Damndamndamn. Damn.

This story really illustrates why uncontrolled left turns are the Devil's handiwork and also illustrates that SDOT is absolutely complicit in not making the streets safe. A street as busy (with both pedestrian and vehicle traffic) as Dexter shouldn't allow ANY left turns at uncontrolled intersections; it's forbidden at most points on Denny, even though ignorant-as-fuck drivers regularly turn anyway.

Whether the driver is found or not, the bicyclist's survivors should sue the shit out of the city.

Two tons of truck going 25mph would be enough to make you dead.

Most pedestrian vs. car accidents that happen at 25 mph do not result in fatalities. I don't know what the stats are when the victim is a bicyclist, especially if he/she isn't wearing a helmet, but I bet the chances of a fatality are pretty low.

@57- I see cars do crazy stunts all the time and I don't see them getting ticketed, sometimes even when a policeman is watching. Cars generally only get ticketed by police if there is an accident or there is an organized speed trap set up. That's why there is such an uproar over red light cameras, 100% ticket rate. If the cyclist was able to wave you by in front of her it doesn't sound like she went all the way into the intersection and did stop for you. Make a commitment, don't exceed the speed limit, come to a full stop along side of each stop sign, don't pass a cyclist only to turn right in front of them causing them to hit the brakes, don't change lanes at intersections to get two car links ahead, if you make a right on red pull into the intersection before turning so you don't put the side of your car into the cyclist waiting for the light to change. Tickets are mainly issued to people to prevent them from doing things that put other people at risk- that's cyclists don't get many. Its that simple.

I have crashed twice avoiding that very scenario on the waterfront by the ferry terminal, with drivers pulling a *fast* left in front of me. Both occasions I braked hard and bailed, rather than going over the hood. Both occasions the driver made eye contact with me while I was on the ground, bleeding. And then sped off, with nary a "you okay?" much less a "sorry!".

As a cyclist, it fills me with disgust and dread that there are so many people out there who believe that cyclists deserve to die, simply for riding a bike. I for one never speak the words "...should be killed" or "...deserve to die" without thinking how that reflects on me as a human being. That even goes for fucking piece of shit hit-and-run drivers.

@59...Okay, let me paint it...I was stopped at a 4-way stop. Cyclist was nowhere in sight. I proceed through intersection, she comes careening down the hill from my right. I had to hit my brakes hard and swerve to MISS her, she slammed on her brake (she was, by this time, IN the intersection). She then waved me through.
I've seen many cars get ticketed without an accident for pulling bonehead moves, but, a cop has to see it. It doesn't excuse drivers, NOR cyclists, but if cyclists want to 'share the road', they need to be made to follow the rules of the road. Just today, within just a few blocks, I had four cyclists pull dumb shit in front of cars, including some dumbfuck couple who were in the travel lane (there was no bike lane), at a stoplight, but when it was convenient for them, they went RIGHT THROUGH THE RED LIGHT. But, to be fair, I ran a red today, too, but not intentionally. I admit it, I wasn't paying attention, and it damn near gave me a heart attack. Oh, and I would never turn right in front of a cyclist...that would be genuinely stupid. *shiver*...still can't believe I didn't notice the light changing!!! DAMN!

Many condolences to Mike Wang's family, and may the shitstain on humanity that ran him down be caught. Someone knows that fucking vehicle. SPEAK UP! It's the right thing to do!

So, biking in the city is scary. Driving in the city is scary. I guess I'm left with the bus, but there are about to be catastrophic cuts to the routes in this city. Guess I'm left with walking.

Walking in the city is scary...you could be hit by a car...or a cyclist...or a bus. Or a cop could just get out of his car and shoot you, then lie his ass off about it. ON a bus, you could get beat up, etc. Life is dangerous. Live it anyway.