Safe Passage for Bikes

Yesterday, we were enjoying our usual slow walk home from Laurel's daycare, when a young boy on a bike was hit by a car, dragged, and trapped underneath. He was traveling with his father and sister, on a designated bikeway, obeying all traffic laws. The driver simply didn't see him.

It was truly one of the most awful things I have ever witnessed. It will be a long time before I forget the metallic sound of his bike being dragged and the screams from his father.

People ran from all over the park to help. The fire fighters arrived within a few minutes. I understand from a news report that his injuries are serious, but that he is expected to survive. Blame seems to flow freely in the wake of such tragedies and I saw many people trying to process the event this way as the story was broadcast on the news and shared on Facebook.

Even Laurel was trying to make sense of what she saw by asking if it was a big kid or a little kid. We have this need to find out how the victim is different than us, so that we may feel more secure from such danger.

It's hard to know what to do in such a situation. Luckily, some friends had the idea to have a bike ride. No speeches. No signs. Just families on bikes, enjoying the beautiful spring weather, riding to show our support for the little boy and his family, and our desire to have safe passageway in our city.