Triggs family suing over father’s death at KCBike.Info

Triggs family suing over father’s death

Published May 16th, 2007 in Crashes

Almost a year ago John Triggs died in a terrible wreck with a cement truck in Downtown KC while on his way home from the Central Library. A Ghost Bike still stands at 12th and Grand in his honor. Triggs’ family have filed a lawsuit against the truck driver.

This is a terrible situation all around. The driver clearly failed to yield to the crosswalk and did not signal his turn. He was reported to be severely distraught after learning about the tragedy. Unfortunately, Triggs was riding on the sidewalk, where he was less visible to motorists. Extensive research data shows that riding a sidewalk or other sidepath is the most dangerous place for a cyclist to be. You are safest when you ride in the street like the traffic that you are.

KSHB-TV 41
May 16, 2007
Family suing after truck kills bicycle rider
Almitra Smith

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – May is bicycle-safety awareness month and one family is hoping a lawsuit and a jury will reinforce the message of safety.

Well over 100 bicyclists in Kansas City are injured or killed by motorists every year. One family whose father was killed is now suing a cement truck driver for neglecting cyclists’ rights on the road.

Avid cyclist John Triggs left the Downtown Kansas City Library with books in tow on his bicycle last June. It should have been an easy ride home through Downtown.

Triggs had just finished a book chronicling his 17,000 mile journey through the United States and Europe. Now, a memorial marks where a truck knocked him off of his bike at 12th and Grand.

Trigg’s family lawyer says the helmeted bicyclist had just gotten the go ahead from the traffic signal. He entered the crosswalk and became the victim of a horrific truck collision.

Witnesses told police the truck did not have a turn signal on when it hit Triggs. The wheels pulled him off of his bicycle and drug him more a block. All that was left behind were his shoes and mangled bike.

“This isn’t a very friendly city for bicyclists, no trails and few road markings,” said Denise Henning, Henning Law Firm.

The Mid-America Regional Council said 214 bicyclists were victims of car crashes in 2004. That is enough of a safety problem that the region has launched a safety awareness coalition.

“That’s the law, the truck should have yielded to anyone with a green light,” Henning said. “The truck didn’t do that.”

NBC Action News tried to contact the Fordyce Concrete Company for comment, but phone calls were not returned.

One Response to “Triggs family suing over father’s death”

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1 Brent May 18th, 2007 at 12:28 am

“Unfortunately, Triggs was riding on the sidewalk”

I’m still not convinced that Triggs actually was riding on the sidewalk.

Apparently there was one eyewitness who thought he saw Triggs riding on the sidewalk. But eyewitnesses remember seeing all sorts of crazy stuff all the time.

There are other witnesses who saw Triggs bicycling through that intersection on a regular basis and never using the sidewalk.

The scenario that killed Trigg is almost certainly that outlined here:

http://mobikefed.org/2006/08/bicyclists-how-to-avoid-being-hit-by.php

This problem (large trucks swing left in preparation for a right turn, making it look as though they are starting a left turn rather than a right turn) would have been exacerbated if the driver didn’t signal or the signals were malfunctioning–as was reported by other witnesses.