I did not know John Przychodzen. But like him, I am a 49 year-old cyclist.

I am beyond outraged that you have decided that the reckless behavior that resulted in his dead warranted a $42 fine.

Are you serious? Are you out of your mind?

First, let’s be clear: cyclists have a right to ride, just as you have a right to walk. To DRIVE a 4000lb hunk of metal and plastic at speed means you take on a SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY. That responsibility included NOT KILLING HUMAN BEINGS.

If one fails, and the consequences are DEADLY, everyone expects there to be consequences. “I didn’t mean to,” just isn’t a good enough excuse.

Let’s be very clear:
Riding on the Road – When riding on a roadway, a cyclist has all the rights and responsibilities of a vehicle driver (RCW 46.61.755)

Let’s also acknowledge that John was riding legally:

Shoulder vs. Bike Lane – Cyclists may choose to ride on the path, bike lane, shoulder or travel lane as suits their safety needs (RCW 46.61.770)

So why is he dead? Someone was driving recklessly. He is only dead because of the actions of the the unnamed teen driver who killed him.

So was the teen violating any laws? YES. He was, according to your department, engaging in an “unsafe lane change.” That is he was driving “IN A RECKLESS MANNER,” and committing the lane change while a cyclist is potentially in his path is driving “WITH DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.”

So there is one question: Does WASHINGTON STATE LAW have any special law that deals with a driver who kills someone with their car?

YES. It is called VEHICULAR HOMICIDE. It is a Class A felony!
RCW 46.61.520

It was written for this very reason.

This 18 year-old driver needs to pay for the life he took.

And your department owes the cycling community a serious explanation of why the department has failed to stand up for the safety of all road users.

I am deeply angry about this.

Who rides bikes? Sure, there are many like me who ride for exercise and pleasure. But there are also kids who just want to get to school, or to see a friend, or get to an afterschool job or a team practice. And there are the poor who work jobs were owning a car isn’t even affordable. They are all members of your community. You are there to protect them. This decision says they do not exist. This decision says that the fine for killing a cyclist is the same as if a police officer was just there and saw the driver make an unsafe lane change.

Do your job. File charges.

Or get out of the way and let your city hire police prosecutors that understand the law and are willing to enforce it.

Roughly 700 cyclist die each year on the roads. Except for one or two about every other year, they are all killed by drivers of cars. Millions cycle. They need to know that the law is on their side.

Sincerely,

John Cork