Cyclist loses life in a collision with a car
Police said they responded to a call from the 600th block of Frederick Street around 7:30 in the morning on a report of a collision. When they arrived at the scene of the accident, officers found the bicyclist lying in the road.
The man, who was later identified as 31-year-old Devlin O’Conner by the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office, was ferried to a nearby hospital, where he died of injuries sustained in the tragic crash.
One of the area’s police supervisors, Dean Preston, commented on Twitter that it appeared the accident occurred when a stationary car opened its door, resulting in the bicyclist ramming into the door and being thrown into an oncoming vehicle, upon which he sustained serious and severe injuries.
The late Mr. Devlin O’Conner
Supervisor Preston further commented on how the accident was a severe reminder of the crucial need to meet the goals and objectives of Vision Zero and the prevention of traffic fatalities. Several people took to various social media platforms, sparking a heated debate on the subject of bike lane protection and the need for intensive road safety education after hearing about Mr. O’Connor’s sad death.
Ongoing Investigations
Mr. Jeffrey Tumlin, who is the director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, revealed that a team from the department was carrying out an investigation at the scene of the accident to gain a deeper insight of what had transpired. He further commented on how such traffic incidents were totally preventable. He also said that it was of paramount importance to protect and maintain the safety of the most vulnerable street users.
Everyone involved in the accident stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators and city officials. Impairment caused by drugs or alcohol does not appear to have been the cause, but the investigation was still underway, police said. One of Devlin O’Conner’s friends and work colleagues started a GoFundMe donation, where the proceeds will be given to the deceased’s wife and family.
Vision Zero in San Francisco
San Francisco is generally considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in the USA, scoring high in both road safety and commuting accessibility to the city’s diverse localities. However, despite the city's embrace of bicycling as a sustainable method of transportation, its dense intersections, and usually busy roads still make bicycle accidents a regular occurrence, with many leading to serious injuries and even death.
San Francisco adopted the Vision Zero policy six years ago, in 2014, committing to build better and safer streets, raise awareness and educate the public on traffic safety, ensuring strict adherence to traffic laws, and adopting policy measures that save lives. The main goal behind this policy was to create a culture that highly upholds traffic safety and to ensure that errors on the city’s roadways don’t result in serious injuries or loss of life. According to city statistics, approximately 30 people lose their lives and more than 200 are severely injured while traveling on city streets annually. The city aims to have eliminated all traffic fatalities by the year 2024.