Cyclist Killed Near Kezar Stadium
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Updated Monday, June 1 1:30 p.m.
Devlin O’Connor, 31, was riding near Kezar Stadium Friday morning when an inattentive motorist opened a car door into his path.
“Per SFPD, the incident occurred when a parked car opened its door, ejecting the cyclist and resulting in a fatal collision with an oncoming vehicle,” wrote Supervisor Dean Preston on Twitter. O’Connor was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
From a GoFundMe memorial page set up by his friend Esperanza Arab :
Though we only knew each other through work over the past 6 months, he was an avid and devoted cyclist. He was just telling us how much he’s been taking advantage of these uncertain times by getting out on long rides. We were all looking forward to tackling the Bay Area’s notorious hills with him as soon as we were back to riding together. There is the smallest solace in knowing he was out doing what he loved.
We are completely devastated, stunned, and in disbelief that such a genuinely good person is gone
“Traffic violence is preventable,” wrote SFTMA head Jeffrey Tumlin on social media. He added that a ‘rapid response’ team was headed to the site. “Especially with Muni’s COVID service reductions, it’s critical we protect the most vulnerable street users.”
Advocates were quick to point out that the SFPD again removed agency in reporting the tragedy by describing it as a crash with a “vehicle” and a “parked car.” “‘A parked car'” didn’t open the door, a driver who wasn’t paying due attention did, and now someone is dead,” wrote ‘eparrillon’ on twitter. Others called for the elimination of the slip lane on Frederick, which encourage fast, unsafe turns by motorists.
“Our hearts go out to Devlin’s family and friends during this tragic and heartbreaking time,” wrote Paul Valdez, an organizer of San Francisco’s ‘Ride of Silence,’ in a post on social media. Members of his group installed a Ghost Bike, seen in the lead image, Sunday morning.
Streetsblog will continue to follow this story and update on SFMTA’s efforts to make this section of Frederick safer.
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