I read this story from last July with great interest, as I was the cyclist who was hit. I am frankly a bit disappointed that neither the Redmond Police spokesperson, nor the reporter noted that the driver was negligent in making his turn. Worth noting is that according to the police report, the driver saw me prior to making his turn, directly in front of me. According to the police report, I had less than a second to respond, not enough nearly time to avoid the truck. His poor judgment put me in the hospital for a month, and subjected my family and I to a difficult and lengthy recovery process. Additionally, the driver in this case was not insured.

With a great deal of determination and inspiring support from friends and family I have come a long way back.

The quote from the spokesman focuses on wearing a helmet (good), and on “being aware of your surroundings”. As an experienced cyclist, I am indeed aware of my surroundings, and really wish that more motorists were as aware of their surroundings.

Your newspaper missed an opportunity to remind motorists how important it is to be very aware of cyclists, and to exercise good judgment. The tone of the article seems to gloss over the motorist’s responsibility as they pilot vehicles that have such power to alter and take lives.

Paul C. David, Kirkland