Bicyclist struck by SUV dies

Sarah Howard, 48, of Meridian was stopped in the bike lane on Overland when she was hit.

Avid cyclist Sarah Howard took off work Friday to put the finishing touches on her husband's 50th birthday party.

Instead of a party, her family and friends are struggling to come to terms with a tragedy.

Howard, 48, of Meridian, died when she was struck on her bike by a Hummer H3 sport utility vehicle just before 10 a.m. Friday as she waited in the bike lane to cross Eagle Road, according to Meridian police.

"She was an exceptional, exceptional woman," said Alice Vandermeer, who worked with Howard for about seven years at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute in Meridian. "She was a really good mom to her two sons."

Howard had been a nurse for more than a decade.

"It's tough because our cancer patients tend to bond with their nurses," Vandermeer said.

"When you take care of cancer patients, we say you get a chance to say your goodbyes," Vandermeer said. "But when something like this happens, you don't."

The crash was still under investigation Friday night. The driver of the SUV, Erika E. Janzen, 43, has not been charged, Meridian police officer Will Stoy said.

Janzen was taken to an area hospital for examination, but she did not appear to have been seriously hurt in the crash, police say.

"(Howard) was stopped in the bike lane, waiting for the red light — she did everything right," before the crash, he said.

The Ada County coroner said Howard died from a head injury after she was thrown from her bike by the force of the impact.

Howard was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, Meridian police said.

The incident happened at 9:55 a.m. when Howard was stopped in the bike lane headed east on Overland Road at the Eagle Road intersection waiting for the red light to change, according to eyewitness accounts and the police investigation.

Witnesses told police the driver of the Hummer lost control of her vehicle about 100 feet behind Howard.

The right wheels of the Hummer jumped the curb, but the left wheels were still on the road. The Hummer, which was then driving directly over the bike lane, hit Howard from behind.

It was not raining at the time of the crash, and weather was not a factor, Stoy said.

Witnesses told police they did not see Janzen talking on a cell phone prior to the accident, Stoy said.

The force of the impact threw Howard into the middle of the intersection, Meridian Police Chief Jeff Lavey said. The SUV went though the intersection before the driver managed to stop on the other side, Stoy said.

There were tire marks on the sidewalk but no skid marks, indicating the driver didn't use the brakes prior to the collision, Stoy said.

Lavey said Howard's husband showed up shortly after the accident and told investigators that it was her day off and that she regularly rode on that route.

Bethann Stewart: 377-6393

Boy, that really sucks.

Everybody honor her and keep pedaling!

Don't surrender to fear.

And the driver that couldn't handle her armoured personnel carrier walks away without so much as a ticket, gotta love that.

wow.

that is amazing. She didnt even brake? Lost control under ideal conditions? Threw the cyclist into the intersection then didn't manage to stop til went through it? I hope the reporter is leaving something out because that is disgusting.

Probably because of this fact which the reporter included right before the one you quoted:

"The crash was still under investigation Friday night. "

Al

Sad

probably babbling on her phone. Sad to see someone, a feloow biker, die doing what they love and is safe. I wish I could find this drivers number and ask her why!

Nah, there's no evidence of that according to the report. Sounds(or reads, rather)like the driver of the SUV had some sort of seizure. No signs of braking and rolls through the intersection after running over someone? There's no way she wont be charged if there was any negligence on her part. Either way it's a terrible tragedy for her family.

This is depressing on so many levels...
RIP

Well I'm glad running into a bicycle didn't injure her in her 2.5 ton car. This woman owes a life to the cyclist's family. It's sickening.

Very sad. All the honor to Sarah Howard. All condolences to her family. Hopefully the motorist realizes what she did, realizes the irreparable damage that she made to Sarah's family, and lives with that guilt for the rest of her life.

No words for the fantastic government who tickets people for not wearing their seat belts, but is not worried about the same motorists killing others.

Sarah Howard and Family, my bike commute today is for you.
I'll take the time to remember those lost and send some good thoughts to those left behind.

This has been weighing heavy on my heart since Friday. She was doing everything right. I suppose most of us find some comfort in finding something that the rider could have done to prevent or minimize the accident but in this case there seems to be nothing she could have done. What really sickens me is the realization that most drivers in our community probably hear this and say "this is more evidence that bikes have no business being on the roads". I am laying my bet down that the driver is never charged with anything more serious than inattentive driving. Sad, one life snuffed out, multiple lives impacted for the worst (including the driver) and all for nothing. My heart goes out for Sarah's family.

There is now a ghost bike put up at the intersection where it happened.

Wow, that is rough.

Hit while stopped at a red light at 10Am on a Friday morning? WTF??!!

The driver needs killin'. Sorry but such disregard of human life needs quick and appropriate retribution.

Yes, I'm afraid that this kind of incident confirms that no matter the law, no matter anything, bikes are in fact guests on a road built for cars. It is a risk we all take every day.

I must admit I read stuff like this, then wonder if i need to commute by car just for safety. I have a wife and child to think of now. Even though I bike "safe", use lights, etc etc, this person was wacked during daylight hours. Sick.

awful.

No skid marks? With ABS??? Unless she had a med condition, this was probably a simple case of not paying attention, wandering and then hitting the curb, and panic.

We can only hope they haven't charged her bc they are still figuring out what to charge her with.

I hate to speculate, but I'd be willing to bet the odds of survival would have been higher if she was hit by a sedan. Pitiful.


Here's hoping the surviving spouse sues this woman out of existence.

I'm glad to know this. How did you find out? Is there a link.

RIP and condolences to the family.

Still no charges four days later.

https://www.fox12news.com/Global/story.asp?S=7242693

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Cyclist's Death Leads to Tough Safety Questions

Oct 23, 2007 09:53 AM CDT


Meridian, Idaho -- Family, friends, and co-workers are mourning the loss of bicyclist Sarah Howard.

Howard was hit by a Hummer Friday morning and killed while in the bike lane. She was wearing a helmet.

The fatal accident has highlighted safety concerns, especially for those who knew victim and shared her passion for cycling.

"Just a really sunny spirit. She was always positive, really a great patient advocate," said Cheryl Mills, Howard's co-worker.


Howard was a nurse at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute.

Cheryl Mills says the hospital encourages many of it's employees to cycle to work, like Howard.

After the crash, though, Mills and others are nervous about getting back on the road.

"I don't know how you can process that if you decide never to bike because it's too scary, or if you go a head and do it because it's the right thing to do, like Sarah was doing," said Mills.

Howard's death has also strengthened worries in the Treasure Valley cycling community at large. Many say they've had close calls themselves and feel like sometimes drivers forget to look out for them.

"I would say there is frustration in the cycling community that drivers are not paying attention," said Jake Yundt, with George's Cycles on Fairview.

Mills wonders how community leaders can make the city truly bike friendly.

"I'll be watching to see if anything comes as a result of this. I'll be interested in seeing how city planners take bicycles into account," said Mills.

Mills hopes Howard's death may lead to something positive, like more bike routes away from busy roads and a heightened awareness by drivers.

Meridian Police say the investigation into the crash is still ongoing. So far, the driver of the Hummer has not been charged in the case.

No, no link or anything yet; but the news coverage last night showed the scene and the camera quickly scanned over what was clearly a ghost bike chained to the light post. Although it does nothing for her family or most of the community who have no idea what it is, it made me feel a little better to see it. Boise's cycling community is only beginning to come together in solidarity. The sight of the ghost bike prompted me to join the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance. I encourage other Treasure Valley cyclists to do the same.. https://www.biketreasurevalley.org/about.html

It is worth pointing out that the fact that this accident occured had little to do with Sarah being on a bicycle, but rather just being in the way of the out of control vehicle. If the driver was as out of control as it appears that she was (we don't yet know the reason, could be medical or something), she could just as easily have swerved into oncoming traffic and taken out a family in a mini-van.

It also had to do with the type of vehicle that struck her.
Yet another reason to hate Hummer vehicles. A few SUV manufactures (actually Volvo is the only one I know of) design the bumper, front end and hood for pedestrian impacts so as to minimize the transfer of energy. Nobody stands a chance against the huge flat front end of a heavy vehicle like an imitation hummer h2/h3.

I was thinking the same. I am aware of of number of pedestrians and being killed and motorist injured locally in the past year from out of control vehicle going onto the sidewalk or into another vehicle. In two cases the drivers lost control as they became unconscious from medical condition or had died at the wheel prior.

Al

It truly does scare me that this attitude is still out there. I've seen it discussed with co-workers who display that same level of ignorance.

It's nice that someone put up the ghost bike though, however, I'm sure someone will call in and have the police remove it because it "uglys" up the intersection

You can get a life insurance policy for 1m $.