Police officer hits and kills bicyclist

via - KGET

via - Bakersfield Now

"Jonathan Moo, a Safe Routes to School coordinator for the cycling advocacy group Bike Bakersfield, said every street in the city should be safe for cyclists.

"If everyone, cyclists and motorists, followed the rules of the road, we wouldn't have these fatalities," he said.

Unfortunately, cyclists are the ones who are usually hurt or killed in collisions with motor vehicles, Moo said, so it's critical that drivers in Bakersfield make a commitment to share the road.

"I'm a driver, too," Moo said. "And I know it doesn't take more than five seconds of your time to give a cyclist five feet on your right."

Yielding to a cyclist -- especially one trying to move left for a turn -- might add a few seconds to your commute, Moo said, but it's the right thing and the safe thing, to do.

Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department "

via- Bakersfield.com

Like every other story, theres always two sides. The officer says the cyclist swerved in his direction, but the cyclist isnt alive to give his story. Either way, regardless of who was in the right or wrong it's pretty shitty how this ended up. This story kinda hits home for me, seeing as that I used to take this route, daily. 

Just a reminder to be alert on the road while commuting on your bike. Its a two way road, and usually a multilane road. Share the road, both bicycles and cars. It doesn't take much time our of your commute to yield to a cyclist as a driver. The weight difference from a car to a bicycle is significant. A car can do some serious damage, as demonstrated in this situation.