Breaking News: Witnesses indicate driver not at fault in death of bicyclist
Friday, February 22, 2008 12:52 PM PST
By Thacher Schmid tschmid@tdn.com
Printable version
E-mail this articleEyewitness accounts of a vehicle-bicycle accident Thursday in Kelso that left the bicyclist dead indicate the driver of the pickup in the collision was not at fault.
Christopher P. Arrington, 21, of Longview died at 1:08 p.m. Thursday at Oregon Health and Sciences University Hospital after colliding just after 9 a.m. with a pickup driven by a Toledo man at the corner of West Main Street and First Avenue in Kelso.
According to a Kelso Police Department report and at least two eyewitnesses to the collision, the pickup driver was making a legal turn when Arrington, traveling at a high speed on a sidewalk, went directly into the path of the vehicle.
One witness reported seeing the accident while pumping gas at the Flying K across the street.
Friday morning, another witness, Tony Elrod of Longview, told The Daily News he was directly behind the 2001 Dodge Ram pickup when the collision occurred.
“(Arrington) was cooking, I mean, about as fast as you can go on one of those little bikes,” Elrod said. Arrington was riding a blue GT BMX-style bike. “It look like he was trying to hook a hard right,” Elrod said, but never completed the turn.
Arrington died later at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland of “extensive head, spinal and torso trauma” from the accident.
Elrod’s account of the incident coincides with a statement made to police by the other witness.
According to a police report, the first witness said the pickup driver began a slow controlled turn onto SW 1st Avenue. The bicyclist, whom the witness states “was travelling at a pretty good clip,” continued eastbound into the intersection.
A diagram filled in by Kelso officer Jeff Brown indicated Arrington collided with the passenger side of the pickup’s front bumper, though Elrod said Arrington hit the pickup behind the passenger side door.
The driver of the pickup parked in the 100 block of West Main Street.
Pedestrian signals at the intersection, one of Cowlitz County’s busiest, are not automatic, requiring a push button for a walk signal.
Elrod said Friday that Arrington was not wearing a helmet, and that he “felt sorry for that driver.”
“(The driver) couldn’t have seen him,” Elrod said.
Kelso police said the incident was under investigation and no determination had been made on whether to file charges.
Horrible. wrote on Feb 22, 2008 1:20 PM:
My Opinion wrote on Feb 22, 2008 4:21 PM:
jersey wrote on Feb 22, 2008 4:30 PM:
Jay wrote on Feb 22, 2008 10:31 PM:
This is a terrible accident. I know I will not question bicyclists or pedestrians from this accident ... I will drive with renewed vigor to be diligent watching out for others all around me. "
sure isn't wrote on Feb 22, 2008 11:10 PM:
leslie wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:22 PM:
Past Month's Most Commented Stories