Home | Mobile | E-Mail Us | Privacy | Mtn Bike | Ride Director Login | Add Century/Benefit Rides |
Death puts new emphasis on safety concerns
May. 8, 1999
By
MARY CALLAHAN Press Democrat Staff Writer
A Santa Rosa man killed on what some bicyclists say may the most
dangerous stretch of road in town has reignited hopes for improvements
aimed at making Bennett Valley Road safer for cyclists, pedestrians
and others.
Advocates say they've longed to travel in safety and security along
the narrow road -- gateway to a winding rural route that leads both
east and south -- but most say they don't dare for fear they'd confront
the same fate that Thursday ended the life of Vy Chantharangsy,
40.
His younger sister, Maya Chantharangsy, said he used a bike as his
primary mode of transportation because of a lifelong struggle with
epilepsy that prevented him from driving a car. Family members
believe he was in the area to pick up his biweekly prescription
of seizure pills at a drugstore on Farmers Lane.
"The only reason he would be out there was just to do that,''
Maya Chantharangsy said. But the pills had his seizures well under
control, and family members don't believe his illness caused the
accident, she said.
"He had a lot of friends. He was just a wonderful guy. He wouldn't
even hurt a fly, and he was such a helpful person,'' she said. "This
is such a tragedy that this had to happen to him.''
Chantharangsy was killed on the narrow, winding stretch of Bennett
Valley Road between Farmers Lane and Yulupa Avenue, a distance of
less than two miles. Cyclists and pedestrians can avoid that link
by using city streets to the north, including Tachevah and Bethards
drives, Creekside Road and Hoen Avenue.
Traffic is an increasing concern on Bennett Valley Road because
more and more motorists are using the road as a shortcut and commute
route, according to those who know it well.
"Bennett Valley Raceway. At least in our household, that's
what we call it,'' said Gail Judge, who lives with her husband,
Joe, and their family on Bennett Valley Road at Holland Drive.
"The only reason this hasn't happened sooner,'' said neighbor
and cyclist Valerie Welch, "is because so many cyclists are
afraid of riding on Bennett Valley Road. It's deadly.''
While it appears a new signal light may help regulate traffic, the
road's designation as a scenic highway, intended to guarantee preservation
of its rural character, makes widening or bike lanes unlikely, if
not impossible, Santa Rosa city traffic engineer Gene Benton said.
"The scenic roadway standard is a very difficult one because
it doesn't allow for bicycles easily,'' he said.
Police still don't know precisely what led to Chantharangsy's death
-- whether he fell under the wheels of the pickup that killed him
or was struck from behind, Cmdr. Rod Sverko said.
At least one witness reported having seen him riding out in the
lane just before the 2:50 p.m. accident, which occurred about one-tenth
of a mile east of Farmers Lane.
The edge of the road drops off sharply at least six inches just
outside the white line that defines the lane at the point where
Chantharangsy was killed, and there would have been nowhere for
him to go if someone tried to pass him.
Somehow, he was run over only by the rear dual wheels of the large
pickup, causing "massive injuries,'' Sverko said.
It's possible, police said, he suddenly swerved or tumbled under
or into the path of the pickup, driven by Joan Pomeroy, 35, of Santa
Rosa. Authorities also are waiting for post-mortem tests that could
point to a medical cause and want to ensure he wasn't under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.
Though sickened by knowing the conditions they've complained about
for years have now resulted in death, some area residents and cyclists
said they hope it brings momentum to their efforts to improve travel
along the road.
Welch would be happy if folks would simply drive slower.
Joseph Judge, whose activism helped move big rigs off Bennett Valley
Road and build a crosswalk at nearby Yulupa Avenue and Tachevah
Drive, is among a group of people circulating a petition to expedite
installation of a signal at Tachevah and Bennett Valley.
City staffers have recommended the intersection be improved sometime
soon, likely in the year 2001-02, Benton said. But city officials
have final say over when the estimated $150,000 job will be completed.
Judge said enough signatures could be persuasive in ranking the
intersection higher on the council's prioritized list of projects.
Cyclist Martha Barton, chairwoman of the Sonoma County Bicycle and
Pedestrian Advisory Committee (and a Santa Rosa Cycling Club member)--
a panel she joined specifically "because I'm so afraid of that
road'' -- said the committee's countywide bike plan also calls for
some effort to make room for cyclists along the length of Bennett
Valley Road.
The Board of Supervisors, which approved the plan in 1996 and controls
the road east of Galvin Community Park at the city's eastern edge,
has been swayed by limitations of the scenic route designation and
complaints from some Bennett Valley residents who fear any improvement
will just make traffic worse, she and former Advisory Committee
chairman Ken Wells said.
But Wells said it seems feasible to consider adding shoulders along
the road without disturbing its scenic nature or necessarily breaking
the bank.
"It would be nice if this particular, unfortunate, tragic accident
would shine some light on bicycling issues,'' said Wells.
"As Santa Rosa becomes more like a city and less like a town,'' Santa Rosa Cyclery owner Randy Carpenter said, "they are going to have to pay more attention to these issues. Bicycle thoroughfares just aren't seen as a high priority.''
By JODY KLEINBERG Press Democrat Staff Writer
A cyclist riding along a narrow stretch of Bennett Valley Road was
hit and killed by a pickup Thursday afternoon in Santa Rosa.
Investigators are still trying to determine who was at fault in
the 2:50 p.m. crash and whether the cyclist fell into the path of
the truck or was hit on the edge of the road.
Bennett Valley Road is a narrow roadway and the cyclist was riding
close to the right edge of the roadway, said Santa Rosa Police Sgt.
Tom Swearingen. At the edge of the roadway, where the pavement ends,
there is a four- to six-inch drop to a gravel shoulder.
The drop-off may have made the cyclist wobble or fall into the truck,
Swearingen said. At least five people saw the crash and investigators
were trying to piece together their stories Thursday night and compare
them to evidence at the scene.
The
man, who police were still struggling to identify Thursday night,
was traveling westbound on Bennett Valley Road when he was hit by
a 1998 Dodge Ram driven by Joan Pomeroy, 35, of Santa Rosa.
He died at the scene. He was carrying no identification, but had
a fishing license with an address on it, Swearingen said.
Pomeroy was not injured in the crash and there was no damage to
her truck, Swearingen said. She was traveling 30 mph, in an area
with a 40 mph speed limit, according to police.
Residents of the area say the road is popular among cyclists and
that safety has been an issue in the past. Valerie Welch, who lives
on Bennett Valley Road between Tachevah and Bethards drives, said
she rides on the road every day and is concerned that cars drive
too fast and do not watch out for cyclists.
She said several of her friends called her house on Thursday, terrified
that she had been in an accident.
Investigators closed Bennett Valley Road between Farmers Lane and
Tachevah Drive for three hours.
Rides |
Century's |
Links |
Other |
Bill |
Bloom |
© BikeCal.com 2023