The road can be a very scary place, especially for bikers. A situation can turn tragic very quickly if others on the road are careless. This past summer, a 25-year-old California cyclist found out just how dangerous the roads can be.
While the man was biking near a college campus during the evening, he was struck by a motorist and died as a result of his injuries. The driver fled the scene immediately after the tragic bicycle accident. It wasn’t until the following morning that another biker found the 25-year-old’s lifeless body still on the side of the road.
Thankfully, police were able to track down a vehicle that was reportedly near the accident site. The man driving the vehicle involved in the fatal hit-and-run accident was arrested and pled guilty to felony hit and run causing death and misdemeanor vehicular assault in court. He awaits sentencing.
Even though the guilty man faced the victim’s family as he made his guilty plea, the biker’s family still feels tremendous pain for their loss. They cannot understand why the man left him on the roadside to die. However, they understand that nothing can bring back the man back.
Families dealing with heartbreak, such as this, are forced to deal with years of suffering and anxiety. There are legal options for those dealing with a bike accident, however. By speaking to a trusted attorney, people can figure out if they might be entitled to receive compensation for their loss.
Realistically, those on bikes should have the same right to feel safe on the roads as a motorized vehicle. Yet so long as drivers act without caution, bikers in the Bay Area will have to deal with the unfortunate dangers of being on the road.
Source: Mercury News, “Man pleads guilty in hit-and-run that killed Santa Cruz cyclist Zachary Parke,” Jessica M. Pasko, Feb. 9, 2012
