With a heavy heart I have to report that another cyclist was killed today on Toronto's streets. This time a seven year old girl ... in Scarborough. Very close to where I went to high school. CityTV did this news story. She was on a crosswalk riding her bike. Not a busy street. The driver simply failed to see her, which boggles the mind. I am pretty sure you're taught to look left and right for anyone including children before you proceed to go through a crosswalk after already having stopped in the first place to let another child cross.
ARC will be organizing a memorial ride with the consent of the family for next Tuesday. Details TBA.
Media links:
Comments
Dr. Steph
Very sad
Wed, 08/29/2007 - 13:45My heart goes out to the family of this little girl. I have an 8 year old daughter and I'm teaching her as much as I can about safe cycling (our primary mode of transportation). For me cross walks are the hardest lesson because kids don't understand that pushing that button doesn't magically make the cars stop. And that cars very far back get impatient and change lanes and whip through (I saw a child hit and minorly injured that way). Or that people in cars sometimes don't look or pay attention.
So very sad.
vic
Crosswalks
Wed, 08/29/2007 - 14:09Dr. Steph,
You're right that people don't respect crosswalks.
I've even been honked at and buzzed/passed while stopped at crosswalks to let pedestrians through.
Also honked at while waiting to make a right turn while pedestrians were crossing. In this case, myself and the pedestrians gave the motorist an earful, but I doubt she heard anyway because her windows were rolled up and she was on the phone.
Too many people are in too much of a hurry, without considering how their actions might hurt others.
Steve (not verified)
It is
Wed, 08/29/2007 - 14:17beyond sad.
I don't even know what to say or think about this anymore. I don't have kids, but this just makes me sick. The parents must be out of their mind. I am going to assume the driver is pretty broken up (he better be) , knowing he killed a little girl. Just one glance and this could have been avoided.
How do you tell her parents you didn't see her in broad daylight?
How do you even go on?
vic
TPS News Releases
Wed, 08/29/2007 - 15:45Toronto Police Services seemed slow getting news releases out about this.
Here's the first one:
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/12482.pdf
Then 3 minutes later they posted another telling the public about a "media scrum" at 3:00:
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/12481.pdf
Did anyone go to this "scrum" or hear anything else from it?
Anonymous (not verified)
shut down
Fri, 08/31/2007 - 13:51We ought to shut down the city with our bikes for an hour for each cyclist killed in a year. An hour for a life does not seem too much.
Darren_S
Memorial info
Fri, 08/31/2007 - 16:02A cyclist memorial will be held for a seven-year-old cyclist who was
killed last Tuesday.
What: Cyclist Memorial
When: Tuesday September 4th 8pm.
Meet: Spadina and Bloor 6pm. or 630pm if you are taking the subway.
Re-group at Warden Station (outside west entrance) at appx. 7pm.,
departing 715pm
Memorial site. Bay Mills Blvd near Warden appx. 8pm
Please bring candles and/flowers. It will be dark for our return ride home.
For more info Darren Stehr 416-707-4744
or Derek Chadbourne 416-828-0370
www.respect.to