Death of 18-year-old Seattle cyclist reinforces importance of wearing a helmet
Posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
On May 29th Nap Cantwell, the 18-year-old son of Elysian Brewing Co. cofounder Dick Cantwell, was commuting to work at the brewery on a bicycle when he ran a red light at the intersection of Pike Street and Boren Avenue and collided with a van. The teenager failed to regain consciousness after the accident and died eight days later at Harborview Medical Center.
Seattle Police Department has an account of the accident:
According to witnesses, the male cyclist was riding his 10-speed bicycle westbound on Pike Street. The cyclist ran into the side of a van that was travelling south on Boren Avenue. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet. SFD Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded and began their investigation. The driver of the van was evaluated at the scene by officers for any sign of impairment, which is standard protocol. This remains an active and on-going investigation.
It’s certainly a tragedy whenever any cyclist perishes in an accident, especially when the cyclist is as young as Cantwell was. However, this particular accident could have been prevented. Had Cantwell been wearing a helmet and followed traffic laws, he may still be here with us today. Helmet safety is an inexpensive and simple way to decrease the risk of head injury in cycling accidents. While helmet laws vary by state (California requires riders 17 and under to wear a helmet, while Washington has no bicycle helmet laws), cyclists shouldn’t don them out of a legal obligation, they should wear them because it’s the safe thing to do. Helmets aren’t just for children who are unsteady on their bikes; even if an adult cyclist is in control of his bicycle and is cautious and aware of his surroundings, he can’t prevent a sudden collision with a car who didn’t see him. A helmet can help protect the rider from potentially lethal injuries regardless of whether the cyclist is at fault or an outside force is responsible.
Some cyclists run red lights if there is no cross traffic and if the intersection is clear because they have momentum and don’t want to have to stop and get going again. In Cantwell’s case, he ran a red light and hit a van, so the path was definitely not clear and Cantwell was not properly aware of his surroundings. It’s better to be safe than sorry and obey traffic laws and stop at red lights, especially at busy/heavily trafficked intersections. If you need to slow down, come to a stop, and get going again, it’s still better than risking a close call or a collision with a motorist. After all, wouldn’t you rather be a few minutes late to your destination than end up in the hospital or dead?
Our hearts and thoughts go out to the Cantwell family for their loss, but this unfortunate tragedy should serve as a reminder not to be reckless on your bicycle, especially when you’re navigating through a busy metropolitan area. Safety should always be on the forefront of your mind, and you should never compromise that for a little bit of speed.
Photo credit: LAVA COMMUNICATIONS
4 Responses to “Death of 18-year-old Seattle cyclist reinforces importance of wearing a helmet”
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You should have left it as a message of sincere condolences, not point out the shoulda coulda woulda… Too soon.
This accident is still under investigation & there has been no conclusive determination as to exactly what happened. Witnesses have only mentioned a yellow light. It’s deplorable that you would use this family’s tragedy as marketing babble for your blog. And it’s reprehensible that you would make claims about the accident that are not substantiated. I agree with Kara; you should have stuck with offering condolences to the family and left it at that. Using the accident to make some kind of a point (and as a subtext, market your business) is disgusting and only adds more pain to an already devastating situation, especially given that this young man died only 8 days ago. Shame on you.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this post whatsoever. It’s a tragedy that this kid died but certain aspects of the accident, or perhaps the entire accident altogether, absolutely could have been prevented, especially if the cyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet. Don’t preach about how it’s “too soon” to talk about bike safety–it’s never too soon to glean lessons from preventable tragedies. The tone of the post was perfectly appropriate and not “disgusting”–gimme a break.
I’ve known Nap since elementary school and am deeply saddened by this tragedy. He was full of energy and enthusiasm and I enjoyed playing baseball against and with him. I wish I could have seen him before his accident. I’m gonna miss you, buddy.