Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
A 38 year old Oregon cyclist died in an Oregon auto accident last week after being hit by a car on Oregon route 99 near Creswell. According to Oregon State Police, quoted by The Oregonian, the Portland-area bicycle and car collision took place when Creswell cyclist John Clayton was riding northbound on 99. Clayton died after being struck head-on by a car that had pulled out of the southbound lane to execute a pass.
The driver of that vehicle also sideswiped the car he was trying to pass. According to the Creswell Chronicle, Clayton was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The paper reported that he was wearing neither a helmet nor any reflective clothing, though it is worth emphasizing that he was riding as he was supposed to: with traffic, along the right-hand side of the road.
Clayton’s tragic and preventable death is a reminder of how important it is for Oregon drivers to take special care when they are around cyclists. Our state, and the city of Portland, are widely considered to be among the most bicycle-friendly places in America, but that does not mean every driver on the road uses the care and discretion one would hope for when they are around cyclists.
If you are a Portland cyclist who has been injured – or the loved one of an Oregon cyclist who has died – in an Oregon bicycle and car collision it is important to seek the advice of a Portland bicycle injury lawyer as soon as possible after the incident. Drivers are obliged to share the road with law-abiding Oregon cyclists. Those who fail to do so leave themselves open to significant civil, or even criminal, judgments.
The Oregonian: Police identify Cresswell man killed in car vs bicycle crash
Creswell Chronicle: Fatal vehicle/bicycle crash on Hwy. 99 near Creswell
