The Santa Cruz County California Highway Patrol responded to a fatality traffic collision after an 18-year-old man drove his vehicle into the back of a westbound 31-year-old man riding a bicycle on Soquel Drive near Rosedale Avenue at 8:30 P.M. Wednesday night.
Update: The cyclist has been identified as Kevin “Jack” Meehan, who moved to the Santa Cruz area from San Francisco in 2015.
At least one witness reports the driver was “speeding too fast before hitting the bicyclist.” The speed limit on this part of Soquel is 35 MPH, slowing to 25 MPH at Rosedale just one block west of the site of the collision. CHP investigation continues; they ask anyone with information to call (831) 662-0511.
I ride this way occasionally and I’m always somewhat uncomfortable on this stretch of Soquel Drive. Santa Cruz County is fairly small and there’s a fair chance I know somebody connected to the driver or the victim.
Information from the CHP bicycle incident report page, with a hat tip to Steve Piercy for bringing this to my attention. Steve, who maintains this map of Santa Cruz County pedestrian / bicycle collisions, was hit on his bike at this location just last month.
Windows Media dispatch audio can be streamed from here. It’s heartbreaking listening to this.
I’m sorry to hear this Richard. More needs to be done to ensure roads are safer for cyclists. I hate riding on roads where you can literally feel the wind as speeding cars zoom by you – very chilling.
In Amsterdam, Netherlands, there’s cycling lanes as big as standard roads only dedicated for cyclists. I think other countries and states can learn a thing or two from them!