SEATTLE — A white bicycle now hangs off a street sign in West Seattle, signaling the death of a cyclist at that very spot.
Bicyclist Steve Hulsman was killed while biking in West Seattle on Dec. 21 and the cycling community is mourning his death while raising awareness about safety concerns for local cyclists. While the Seattle Police Department has not released details about the crash, initial investigation listed the incident as a hit-and-run.
KING 5 has filed a request with Seattle Police Department for all records connected to this crash and will report on what the department determined was the cause of the incident upon completion of its investigation.
On Thursday evening, 66-year-old Hulsman was killed while he was biking Marine View Drive, a well-known and well-traveled bike route in West Seattle. The incident happened near the intersection of 46th Avenue Southwest.
"It's not really if, it's more of a when and whether it's a brush or a cut off or needing to turn into something else to avoid impact," said Peter Clancy about bicyclists' near-misses being hid by drivers. Clancy is the co-owner of Westside Bicycle, where Hulsman was a customer.
Those who knew and loved Hulsman, along with records from the King County Medical Examiner's Office, confirmed his death.
"Steve was a devoted Cascade ride leader for more than a decade and he touched the lives of thousands and thousands of people who rode behind and alongside him," the Cascade Bicycle Club said in a statement. "... Unfortunately this terrible incident once again shows how dangerous our roadways have become for vulnerable road users including people bicycling and walking."
Others who knew Hulsman called him "a friend, fond teammate, and notable character/contributor to Seattle’s cycling community." Hulsman was supposed to lead a Cascade Bicycle Club group ride along the route two days after he was hit, according to the club's schedule. A friend took over that ride in honor of Hulsman, according to the Seattle Bike Blog.
Marine View Drive is a popular cycling route due to the Puget Sound views and route, according to Seattle Bike Blog. However, the road is two lanes with no bike lane and "poor, inconsistent or completely missing shoulders," the blog stated.
The City of Seattle has ongoing work to address bicycle safety, but advocates say the work should be done faster to try and prevent more tragedies from occurring.
Cascade Bicycle Club, in its statement, added that, "Policymakers must get to work solving this epidemic of traffic violence we are seeing in Seattle and across the country due to distracted driving, speeding, and poorly designed roadways that too often lack safe bike infrastructure. As we think of Steve and his loved ones, we must also act to make our streets safer for all."
Data from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shows that 17 bicyclists have been killed in crashes this year. In 2022, 12 bicyclists were killed and there were 14 deaths each in 2021 and 2020.