We are deeply saddened at the tragic news that Matt Simpson died Friday after being hit while bike riding with his wife and two young children last Sunday. We are angry at the driver, Omari Newsom, who crashed into Matt and then drove away from the scene after removing the bike from under his car. And we are fed up with the officials at legislature, NCDOT, and the City who have not done enough to keep us all safe while walking and biking on Durham streets.

This tragedy is not isolated. On average every 16 days someone is killed or seriously injured while walking or biking in Durham. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to find out details about the victims and their families' interests. Through neighbors, we have been connected with Matt's widow and know that she wants Matt's memory honored with the placement of a ghost bike at the site where he was killed. We will follow up soon with details about the ghost bike event and how you can get involved to make our streets safe for everyone.

Here are links to two media stories about what happened:

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article263536723.html

https://www.wral.com/durham-police-search-for-hit-and-run-driver-after-bicyclist-crash/20368469/ (from last Monday)

Learn more about our Safe & Healthy Streets work here.