I am an avid bike rider, and have been hit by a car four times in my life. Every single one was absolutely terrifying. I can only thank my good luck that I am still able to do what I love to do. It is a tragedy every time a biker dies, and I mourn the loss of this obviously amazing young man. The next time you are driving around in your car, remember share the road. Bike riders are people too, and they don't have a large steal and glass armor shell to protect them.

I wish his family the best during this obviously hard time.

rest in peace charlie, best wishes for his family during this tragic time

RIP. I'm a carless biker living in downtown San Francisco so I empathize with this cause quite a bit. I think it should be required that before a person gets their driver's license they should be forced to spend 6 months riding their bike as their main mode of transportation. All the bikers I know are intimately aware of other bikers while driving and there's a reason for that; if you haven't already been hit you've have plenty of close calls.

This is so tragic. I stopped riding bikes because of this reason. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Some of Charlie's friends are organizing a memorial ride for this Friday, August 17th. I encourage any cyclists in the Toronto area to come out and join us. We'll be meeting at Jet Fuel Coffee (519 Parliament St) at 6:00pm. Flyer: http://www.somnambulant.net/

There will also be a radio interview aired tomorrow morning on CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada. Myself and Martin Reis (of Bike Lane Diary) spoke about Charlie, and cycling.

I hope the drunk driver gets the book thrown at him.

When it comes to me driving my bike and irresponsible drivers who refuse to respect my right to share the road safely, I have no qualms in making it absolutely clear in absolutely anyway necessary that I will not tolerate in any way, shape, or form a 'car is king' attitude. As for ever being hit by a car, if that ever happens to me and the car driver doesn't kill me...well, I pray that I don't send the SOB straight to hell with a one-way ticket.

RIP, Carlie. You died trying to improve the world around you. While it doesn't take away from the tragedy, I can't think of a more noble way for a life to end.

Thank you!

I have been hit by car myself (actually, I hit the car as it turned directly in front of me without using its blinker). While my experience was fairly tame, it still was incredibly frightening.

While infrastructure can help a great deal, the only real way to solve this problem is through driver awareness. In my opinion, that means strictly enforcing the laws that are meant to protect cyclists. As an example, I have seen many cars use bike lanes as a way to pass other cars who are turning left (some of them have been police). This kind of behaviors needs to be dealt with, along with keeping a safe distance while passing a cyclist and honoring a cyclist's right of way. Cars aren't king, bikes aren't king, pedestrians aren't king; we all need to work together and share the road in a responsible and safe manor.

After trying to ride my bike on the streets of Los Angeles, I have given up and am selling it on ebay. I'm too scared after many close calls and friends who have been hit. I'm so sorry this happened to such a model of society. It's bad enough to be in a car all the time, but driving whilst drunk is the ultimate in selfishness.

Do they still show the video in schools called, "We Like Bikes," anymore? Watching that in driver's education when I was 14 certainly opened my eyes and I've always given a whole lane to a cyclist because I am deathly afraid of them having to swerve for an opening car door or someone who doesn't look before they pull away from the curb.

Damn. That's the second one today I have read about. The other is a bike messenger in Chicago. He died Monday.

I ride my bike a lot. I have had a lot of close calls. a lot of folks on cell phones. Hell last week I had an upper income chic in a brand new Mercedes honk and yell at me because I was on the road. I was in the car parking area, as there was no cars parked. She wasn't even being slowed down, but slow down she did, so she could yell at me.

Like the above poster, if I feel my life is in danger I will let them know in any way I can that they almost killed me. I have smacked cars that almost hit me.

I don't get the attitude really. I don't get why some drivers don't see that in their little turf war they can kill someone.

I am really sorry.

There's 1.6 cyclist deaths a day in the US.

In some jurisdictions you can be charged with murder for a vehicular killing done while intoxicated. Or at least negligent homicide.

This morning I saw a cyclist braked and flew off his bike, front forward trying to avoid a turning car.

It was so totally his fault, he was going on the wrong side of the road. He stupidly deserved it. Morons like him deserves the Darwin award.

RIP Charlie, the drunk driver should be driving himself off a cliff instead.

For 15 years I refused to ride my bike on the streets because I knew that some moron was trying to kill me out there. Mountain bikes are all I would ride. Yes, I felt safer barreling down single track through trees than I ever did on the street. I still feel that way, but now I am back on the street commuting to work. The obvious answer to this problem of morons killing bikers is to separate the two. let's have a "bikes only" infrastructure.

"If you build it..they will come" absolutely applies here. The problem is that we haven't built it. Why doesn't anyone else see this? Leave the roads to morons who think a big car makes up for a small mind, and give the rest of us what we need. Real bike trails. The benefits are too numerous to list. The investment is too minimal to notice. Why aren't we doing this?

RIP...

i hope not too many people mind me saying so, but i think drunk drivers should be executed.

and developments to encourage the use of, and to make safer, bike riding should be promoted.

The drunk driver should die in the same manner as his victim.That should be the sentence.Being drunk is no excuse.

The drunk driver should die in the same manner as his victim.

You must be from Saudi Arabia. Welcome!

That should be the sentence.Being drunk is no excuse.

Can we give this statement to the judge if you ever hit someone with your vehicle? Would you prefer that you have that done to you?

Anonymous

No i am not from Saudi Arabia.I am from the former soviet union.Things are dealt with swiftly there.

LA: I have edited this comment, we don't need to get so graphic.

No i am not from Saudi Arabia.I am from the former soviet union.Things are dealt with swiftly there.

A thoroughly corrupt former communist totalitarian state is your model for proper justice? Perhaps you should return to that wonderland and leave this horrible country with its respect for human rights.

LA: this is getting out of hand and shows no respect for Charles. I am not going to approve any more comments of this sort.

We should look to the Netherlands on how to have a bicycle culture coexisting with an automobile culture. They have entirely separate roadways for bicycles and cars. It works.

I'm not too far from Brooks, AB. Sure, you could make bike lanes around here -- but contrary to the guy who said "build it, and they will come" -- NOBODY is going to ride a bike for transport in this neck of the woods. For one thing, you could only use it two months of the year. The rest of the time, it's minus 40 outside.

This guy was hit by a drunk driver. Maybe they should pass a law against drunk driving? Oh, wait. They have.

The fact is, riding a bicycle on the public road is a risky activity. No amount of bicycle lanes, or forcing people in Brooks, AB to tie soft, feathery pillows to the brush bars on their 4x4s is going to change that. This year alone, I've already turned two deer into hamburger for the buzzards and narrowly missed a huge moose. Now I'm supposed to dodge yuppie tourists on bicycles, too? Give me a break.

Cars have to look out for other cars. Cars have to look out for people, and guess what news flash, and this might be a stretch for all motor vechicle operators cars do have to look out for BIKES. Pretty Deep eh. Share the Road peolpe! How many cyclists have to die to sink this point home!!

I am sick to death of this kind of thing. This year I've seen the after effects of two separate accidents; one "dooring" and another guy getting hit. It's scary as all hell out there. City planners, please do something?

I live with this fear eveyday. I am one of the lucky ones, just finished my second cross continental ride (solo). I know just how easy it could have been to be killed like Charlie. We love the bike, yet we may give up our lives to it. Is this a fair trade?
You tell me.
Bugsy

Charlies birthday just passed and the date of his passing is coming up. Miss ya, buddy.

And to cke, no you don't have to look out for cyclists on the road unless you're in the habit of driving on the shoulder which is where Charlie was hit.

And I rode my bike all year round in Saskatoon when I lived there.