Chicago Bicyclist Killed In Crash In West Town

A Chicago bicyclist was killed while riding his bike on North Ogden Avenue in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. The fatal crash occurred when the driver of a 2014 Lexus turned onto Ogden Avenue from Erie Street. This intersection is near the Ogden overpass over the Kennedy expressway where there is an on ramp for cars merging onto the northbound lanes of the expressway. This stretch of Ogden also connects the neighborhood along Grand Avenue with the River West neighborhood north of the expressway along Chicago Avenue. Due to this, many bicyclists frequently use Ogden Avenue to get over the expressway along this section of Ogden. 

No further details have been provided. The driver of the Lexus was issued a traffic ticket for failure to use due care while operating a motor vehicle. This is a general charge often used by the Chicago Police Department when the exact details are uncertain but there is evidence that the driver was not carefully operating the vehicle. The Chicago Municipal Code explicitly states that drivers must use "due care" to avoid colliding with a bicyclist. Under the law, "due care" means the "care that an ordinarily reasonable and prudent person would use under the same or similar circumstances."

Section 9-40-160 of the Municipal Code states as follows: 

"Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian, or any person operating a bicycle or other device propelled by human or animal power, upon any roadway, and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary and shall exercise proper precautions upon observing any child or any confused or incapacitated person upon a roadway." Amended Coun. J. 3-12-08, p. 22781, § 1

This is a sad and tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bicyclist and his family and friends.