“Local Cycling Safety Advocate’s Wife Injured in Car-Bicycle Collision in Farmville, NC”

– North Carolina cycling safety advocate injured in car accident
– Wife of North Carolina cycling safety advocate involved in car collision.

Accident – Death – Obituary News :

FARMVILLE, N.C. – In a recent collision on Wesley Church Road near Peace Street in Farmville, a vehicle struck a bicyclist, according to the NC Highway Patrol. The driver of the car has been identified as Tallula Tillman, while the bicyclist, Fernanda Luiza Hardy-Braz, who goes by Liza, was transported to ECU Health with non-life-threatening injuries.

Liza’s name may sound familiar to some, as her husband is Steven Hardy-Braz, a local cycling safety advocate. The accident has raised concerns about the safety of cyclists on the road.

Liza, who is familiar with both the rules of the road and the roadways of Farmville, expressed her fear and frustration after the collision. She stated that she did everything a cyclist is supposed to do and followed all safety guidelines. “I just recall a very loud sound and then the next thing I was hit,” Liza said.

The driver of the car has been charged with failure to reduce speed. However, Liza believes that speed was not the primary issue in this case. “If I ask you, ‘What speed would you like to be hit? 5 miles? 10 miles? 50 miles? Or not hit at all?’ You’re not going to pick a speed. This has nothing to do with speed in my situation. It’s the fact that the driver was inattentive, distracted,” she explained.

According to Walk Bike NC, a bicycle and pedestrian plan adopted by NCDOT, nearly 20 cyclists are killed in collisions each year. This statistic highlights the need for stronger laws and measures to protect cyclists.

Attorney Ann Groninger from Bike Law NC also emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of cyclist safety. “We talk a lot about violence, guns, and murder, but people are killed all the time on the streets, in their cars, walking, on their bikes. It’s an odd cultural thing that we don’t do more to address that,” Groninger stated.

Although cyclists are recognized as vulnerable road users by state law, the consequences for harming these users are not strong. “In North Carolina, we do have one of our laws, if you commit an infraction that causes a bicyclist to leave their lane, then there’s an increased fine for that, so you can see that there’s really not a huge incentive to be careful,” Groninger explained.

Liza expressed her concern about the lack of strong consequences for drivers who harm cyclists. She believes that it is essential for everyone to take responsibility for road safety. “We need to take responsibility. Each and every one of us. That’s the only way our communities are going to function in a safe way,” she emphasized.

The incident in Farmville serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by cyclists and the need for improved safety measures on the roads. By implementing stronger laws and promoting awareness of cyclist safety, communities can work towards creating a safer environment for all road users.

.

1. North Carolina cycling safety advocate wife car accident
2. Wife of North Carolina cycling safety advocate injured in car collision.