SF Cyclists Say Deadly Crash Shouldn't Define City's Bike Community

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Since San Francisco police redoubled their efforts to make sure bicyclists obey traffic laws after a recent deadly crash between a cyclist and a pedestrian, some bikers feel the entire cycling community is being blamed for the dangerous mistakes of a few.

Don't punish me because other cyclists ride recklessly sums up bicycle commuter Dan Monar's feelings since 71-year-old Sutchi Hui died from injuries sustained when she was hit by a cyclist who ran a red light.

"It's putting a lot of blame on the cycling community here, and I think it is kind of unfair," said Monar, clad in a San Francisco Giants bike helmet and ringing his bell to alert pedestrians of his approach.

KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:

Monar lives not far from the corner of Castro and Market where cyclist Chris Bucchere was involved in the crash. A cavalier account of the crash, during which the cyclist was also injured, was later posted online under Bucchere's name.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition issued a statement saying it was "deeply troubled" by his post, even as individual cyclists have come forward to complain about uneven coverage of Hui's death.

Cyclist Brian Poli sees the April 7 crash in Concord that killed a father and his daughter as even more tragic, and questioned why there was no call to crack down on reckless driving.

"A father and daughter get killed by a car, SUV out of control, versus an out of control bicyclist. They're both traumatic, but I think the cyclist is going to get a lot more coverage," Poli said.

Concord police have reviewed the cell phone records of the teenage driver who was arrested to determine whether distracted driving may have been a factor.

Cyclist Brian Foy pointed out that most people behave no matter how they get around, and said he's miffed cyclists in San Francisco have been singled out for greater enforcement.

"It works both ways. I think there's a lot of bad bikers also, but there's a lot of pretty aggressive drivers," Foy said, ringing his bell to enter the Wiggle at Market and Duboce.

The San Francisco crash remains under investigation, and Bucchere's attorney has been cooperating with police, according to his attorney.

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