After a deadly hit-and-run accident on Pittsburgh’s East End, one advocate is calling for changes to the road where the accident happened. The road does not have any bike lanes and also no shoulders where bicyclists can safely ride. Motorists traveling down that particular stretch often go faster than the posted 35 mph limit, potentially increasing the odds of a car accident.

The man was on his daily bicycle ride when he was struck by a car. He was thrown off his mountain bike, traveling six feet through the air. The driver left the scene of the car accident, traveling at a high rate of speed. The man was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after arriving.

Although he was wearing a helmet prior to the accident, the injuries were too severe to recover from. There has been no word on whether the driver involved has been apprehended or will face criminal charges. The executive director for a bicyclist advocacy group stated that drivers on the road where the accident occurred often speed. He stated that he wished to see a center turn lane and bike lanes added to the road as a safety measure for bicyclists who use that route. However, city officials have no plans to improve the road due to other high priority projects.

The victim leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter and likely questions about how someone could cause such a car accident and leave a victim alone to suffer. The man’s family probably has more questions than answers right now as they begin to deal with the unexpected loss of a loved one. Families who suffer such a tragedy may have the legal right to seek civil action against allegedly negligent drivers. In addition to the possibility of criminal charges in Pittsburgh, civil action can act as an additional measure of justice to drivers who bring such a loss to a family.

Source: TribLIVE.com, “Pittsburgh hit-and-run crash kills bicyclist,” Margaret Harding, July 25, 2012