Family of cyclist Ali Sezgin Armagan, 39, tell the Star they only hope for justice after his death in broad daylight on a stretch of Avenue Road where progress toward safety improvements has been slow.
Toronto Star, May 8, 2024
Police have now charged the 52-year-old truck driver in the April 30 death of Ali Sezgin Armagan, a recent immigrant from Turkey, who was killed while riding his bike for work outside an Avenue Road construction site. The driver is facing a charge of careless driving causing bodily harm or death. Armagan was killed when the driver of the flatbed truck made a left turn into a loading dock near Elgin Ave.
Lawyer Dave Shellnutt, who was retained by Aysen and Volkan, says Armagan’s preventable death sheds light on “several profound considerations” for the city, its politicians and the construction companies doing work on that road.
“We’re also going to be looking at what the delays have been in getting bike lanes or safe infrastructure here, and whether there’s any culpability on the city’s part.”
Advocates have long called for changes on this portion of Avenue Road, arguing six lanes of traffic with limited pedestrian space and no protected bike lanes is a recipe for disaster.
“The City of Toronto offers its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the resident who tragically lost their life in last week’s collision,” said Jacquelyn Hayward, the city’s director of project design and management in transportation services.
Toronto Star, May 8, 2024
Condolences are not enough. It’s time for action
The Avenue Road Safety Coalition has been advocating for seven long years to redesign this perilous six-lane section of Avenue Road to make it safe for all who travel along it.
- The tragic lessons are clear
- The road infrastructure has been repeatedly proven to be unsafe
- City Transportation staff have the solutions
- Please – ask your councillors to move to get the solutions approved and implemented
Councillor Josh Matlow
Councillor Dianne Saxe
Mayor Olivia Chow
Please copy the Avenue Road Safety Coalition on emails sent
