With warmer spring weather and the approach of summer, many people in Washington and elsewhere are looking for ways to enjoy outdoor activities. Getting outside is especially important and appealing given current circumstances that have kept most people in their homes most of the time. Although walking and running are popular options, many people enjoy bicycling to keep them moving. However, as bicyclists often share the road with motor vehicles, they may encounter potentially dangerous situations more often than pedestrians or joggers. Unfortunately, a man riding his bike on a roadway in South Kitsap suffered fatal personal injury after a vehicle struck him.
The tragedy happened on a recent Saturday afternoon. According to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, the cyclist, a 56-year-old Tacoma resident, was killed by a car that struck him. Apparently, the vehicle hit him after it began drifting to the side of the road.
Authorities have said that the 40-year-old driver initially fled the scene, later stating that he thought he had struck a mailbox. The driver traveled only a short distance along the road before he stopped his vehicle, at which point, reportedly, he tried to remove a bicycle from the front end of his car. Police suspect the man had been driving under the influence of drugs, and he has since been arrested for vehicular homicide, hit and run and driving with a suspended licence. He has been booked into the local jail.
Often, following this type of sudden, tragic loss, surviving family members are left not only grieving but also facing an entirely new set of financial circumstances due to funeral expenses, lost future income and possibly other monetary losses. Anyone in Washington in a similar position has the right to pursue the matter within the civil justice system, separate from any criminal charges a driver may face. Experienced personal injury attorneys are available to review individual case details and provide valuable legal guidance moving forward.