Bicycle Fatality in Aurora on Saturday.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a woman was struck and killed by a motorist Saturday morning.  It appears that the woman was crossing Densmore Road on the Virgil Gillman Nature trail with a group of other riders when she was struck.  Densmore Road is a wide open flat stretch of roadway where it crosses the trail.  There are two signs in each direction warning approaching drivers of the bicycle trail crossing and the speed limit is posted as 45 mph.  The fatal rural Aurora collision occurred shortly before 11am, and the weather was bright and sunny.  Make no mistake, this collision would have occurred in broad daylight.  While police did not issue any charges, I would be interested to know if any investigation was conducted to determine if the driver was distracted or on the phone at the time of the collision.

We have seen a number of cases in which a driver drove through a group of cyclists attempting to negotiate a road crossing.  Inevitably the driver points to right of way as a rationale for so much as failing to look in front of their vehicle or responsibly applying the brakes in order to avoid a collision they knew or should have know to be imminent.  We hear the same language over and over from defendants in cases like this, "...came out of nowhere...  ...barreling down the street...  ..I didn't see her..."  Failure to see what is in front of one's vehicle is negligence at the least.  Declining to take reasonable actions to avoid a collision because of one's right of way is willful.

One undertakes a tremendous responsibility when they get behind the wheel of a car.  It's almost like driving a one ton loaded gun down the road.  The very least we should expect of a person undertaking such a grave responsibility is that they look in front of them as they drive down the road in broad daylight and that they take reasonable actions to avoid collisions.

Three Illinois Bicycle Fatalities this week; Two were Hit-and-Runs.

By Jim Freeman

The Chicago Tribune reported that a man was struck and killed in Waukegan early Tuesday morning.  Jack Henderson was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Washington Street and Martin Avenue when he was struck by a green sedan driven by an unknown driver wearing a red shirt or jacket.  Nearby video camera caught the suspected hit-and-run driver as the driver fled eastbound on Washington Street.  

On Monday a cyclist was killed in Alexander County.  The bicyclist was struck by the mirror of a Buick when the vehicle passed the bicyclist.  As a result of being struck by the mirror the bicyclist lost control and was struck and killed by another vehicle.  The driver of the Buick was cited for, “improper overtaking of a bicycle.”  I suspect this means the driver was cited for violating the Illinois three foot passing law.

Finally, we posted earlier this week about the death of Jose Gomez, who was allegedly struck and killed by Daniel Wehr in Des Plaines, Illinois.  Wehr was driving a SUV and was working for United Airlines at the time of the collision.  He was identified because his license plate fell off and remained at the scene after Wehr fled.   

Chicago Bicyclist, Father Of Two, Killed On January 1 By Hit-And-RunDriver

Aimer Robledo
Courtesy of CBS Local

The new year has started tragically for the family of Aimer Robledo, 30, who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver as he rode his bicycle in West Humboldt Park early this morning, according to The Chicago Tribune.  He leaves behind two daughters aged 8 and 9.

The crash occurred in the 4700 block of West Division Street, according to The Trib, about a mile and half from Mr. Robledo's home.  The driver was operating a dark colored minivan and struck him at around 3:00 a.m., according to CBS Local.

There are private security cameras located on the block where Mr. Robledo was struck.  Investigators should be able to acquire footage of the crash or the van fleeing the scene if the camera owners are contacted right away.

Eight Chicago cyclists were killed while riding on city streets in all of 2014.

Man Riding His Bicycle Struck And Killed By Van Driver In Roselle

Courtesy ABC 7 Chicago

The driver of a white utility van struck and killed a man in his 40s riding his bicycle in Roselle this morning. The fatal collision occurred on South Roselle Road, near the intersection with Rosemont Avenue shortly after 6 a.m. near Turner Park, according to NBC 5 Chicago.  The bicyclist's name has not been released.

The driver had been eastbound on Rosemont Avenue, a residential street, before making a left onto Roselle Road when he hit the cyclist. The driver's direction of travel on Rosemont was controlled by a stop sign.  Photos and video from the scene showed paramedics and firefighters working to extricate the man and his bike from underneath the van.

Turner Park, part of the Roselle Park District, is right next to the crash scene.  There are several bike paths in the area.  The weather in the area this morning was clear and pleasant.  A review of the area on Google Streeview demonstrates that the sight lines on Rosemont Avenue at the intersection are clear.  

The cyclist's direction of travel prior to the crash has not been reported.

Lake Villa Bicyclist Killed By Motorist On Her Birthday

A 34 year old female bicyclist was killed by a driver in Lake Villa yesterday, according to The Chicago Tribune.  It had been her birthday.

The fatal crash occurred at around 2:15 p.m. as the cyclist, Anna Harvey, was riding southbound on Route 45, north of Grand Avenue.  A 2000 Toyota Camry, also traveling south on Route 45, struck her, according to the Tribune.  Ms. Harvey was pronounced dead at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville some time later.

Few details have been reported regarding how the collision happened.  As of yesterday evening no charges had been filled against the driver, though "the accident remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office accident investigation unit," the Tribune reported. 

51 Year Old Bicyclist Killed in North Riverside

A 51 year old bicyclist was killed early this morning after being struck by a motor vehicle in the 2300 block of Harlem Avenue in North Riverside, according to the Chicago Sun Times.  Illinois State Police crash reconstruction investigators were on the scene to determine the cause of the collision which left Anthony J. Catalano of Bolingbrook dead.  The 28 year old driver of the vehicle reportedly remained at the scene and was tested for alcohol impairment.  The collision with Mr. Catalano, who was either riding or walking his bike, occurred at around 3:35 a.m.  The Sun Times reports that as of late this morning the driver had not been charged with a traffic violation.