Family of man hit by cyclist pleads for bike lanes

A man rides on the sidewalk, right past where Brian Okamoto and his sister, Karen, leave flowers and a sign where their dad was hit while walking. (Rick Madonik/The Toronto Star)

Nobu Okamoto spent his final days at Toronto Western Hospital, unable to see, move or speak to the loved ones at his side.

His son, Brian, 35, whispered, “I love you” into his ear while his daughter, Karen, 31, often turned on the radio so her baseball-loving father could listen to the Blue Jays play.

Last Monday, the 74-year-old father of three died, several weeks after he was struck by a cyclist while walking on Finch Ave. W., near Sentinel Rd. He was going to the bank.

The 33-year-old cyclist was handed a ticket for riding on a sidewalk in North York, a fine of $3.75.

On Wednesday morning, Brian Okamoto and his sister, Karen, took a bouquet of flowers to the scene where their father was hit.

A nearby hydro pole was transformed into a tribute for the man they fondly remembered as a caring father with a penchant for telling jokes.

“It’s been really tough, no question about it. My mom is really stressed out and we’re just trying to be strong about it,” said Brian. “It’s just been really upsetting.”

Police said Okamoto was struck around 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 4, suffering head injuries, cuts and scrapes to the right side of his body. His family said Okamoto also had a fractured skull, dislocated shoulder and internal bleeding.

An autopsy is currently being done.

The “concerned and remorseful” cyclist remained on the scene, according to a police report.

Investigators are looking at possibly charging the cyclist because of Okamoto’s death, his children said. However, Staff Sgt. Leah Gilfoy of 31 Division was unable to confirm that.

Last month, a cyclist struck a 56-year-old woman, fracturing her skull after she fell onto the paved road. The 49-year-old man was charged with careless driving and fined $400 under the Highway Traffic Act.

Drivers who injure or kill a person can be charged criminally with dangerous driving. However, the charge only covers motorized vehicles.

The Finch Ave. W. sidewalk, between Sentinel Rd. and Tobermory Dr., is frequently used by cyclists as well as pedestrians. The slight slope means westbound cyclists often accelerate to fast speeds, said Brian Okamoto.

During Wednesday’s visit to the area, the siblings had to step onto the grass several times to avoid oncoming cyclists.

“I try not to get angry or upset anymore, but you still feel it in your blood when you see it,” Brian said.

Although Nobu Okamoto was a private man, who enjoyed walking on the waterfront and reading newspapers at the Toronto Reference Library, his children decided to share their story to highlight the dangers of sidewalk cycling.

“I just want justice done because I’m a cyclist too,” said Brian. “I think there needs to be more enforcement. I ride my bike downtown and I see dangerous things happening all the time.

“It’s not safe at all.”

The Okamoto family recently told local councillor Anthony Perruzza about the incident, pleading for more bike lanes to increase safety.

While civil litigation against the cyclist is an option, the family hasn’t entertained the idea.

“We haven’t committed to anything yet,” said Brian. “We’re just grieving now.”

--Liem Vu, Staff Reporter

Comments

[KR]

If your not comfortable riding your bike on the street then don't ride your bike! Sidewalks are for pedestrians.

[Nick]

This city needs to improve its education amongst cyclists. With such a high percentage of people using bicycles as their mode of transportation (at least in the downtown core), it's almost negligent of the city or the province to not educate riders. I've lived downtown for a fair bit of my life and own both a bike and a car and what's worrisome is not the bike vs car debate. it's that we have complete and utter morons who lack any shred of common sense getting behind the wheel or on the saddle and are trying to coexist in some very tight confines. Recipe for disaster.

[Justice]

It is time that bike's including the e-bikes to get mandatory insurance!!!!! Liaiblity insurance for B.I. and P.D

[Sam]

I used to be an active cyclist myself and always hesitated to cycle on sidewalks. Simply because I felt uncomfortable putting pedestrians at risk, and knowing full well that I could not always stop quickly enough to avoid pedestrians. Also, that in the event of any collision, brought about by myself or the pedestrian, I would always be at fault.

[kb]

I was on a sidewalk one day when someone came flying up behind me on a bike and almost hit my dog. I turned around and punched him in the head as hard as i could and when he fell off i kicked him in the teeth twice. I bet he will be more careful next time. The next person that does this to me or my dog, will get the same treatment. Cyclists are all assholes and need to smarten up.

[Kent]

If bikes want to have the smae rights as cars, then this should have been vehicular manslaughter and the biker should be behind bars.

[laura]

This is a terrible tragedy and could have surely been avoided by following the rules and using common sense. I've been yelled at by motorists for riding my bike on the street, they've said things like "is the sidewalk too good for you?"

Someone has already made the comment that there is an anti-car movement in the city, well the twin headed ford nation monster has made all the anti-cyclists come out of the woodwork. I don't condone cyclists who ride unsafely or unlawfully and there are many of them, as a cyclist who rides with lights, reflectors and follows the rules of the road, I'd love to see more cyclists doing the same.

[Nathan]

Brian Okamoto and his sister seem like reasonable people, and I'm sorry for their loss. I hope they'll do the right thing and give the already remorseful cyclist a break. If you ask me, it's a silly law that cycling on the sidewalk is so prohibited. Although 74-year-old Nobu Okamoto is now dead as a result of a sidewalk cyclist, I'm sure sidewalk pedestrians are, for the most part, at a much lower risk of suffering from a severe accident than cyclists who bike on roads among busy traffic -- especially in Toronto. As someone who's unfamiliar with Finch Ave. W., I happened to notice this article conveniently left out whether there's an easy-to-access bike lane the cyclist could have been using instead. Not every road has bike lanes, and even on roads that do have them, people are often careless about obstructing them in some way. Perhaps law enforcement should be ticketing those who are guilty of the previous, rather than the cyclists who are just trying to be environmentally friendly. The Okamoto family members have acknowledged more bike lanes are needed. So, let's have the cities do their part before people are charged mercilessly for the accidents many governments haven't done enough to prevent.

[Transity Cyclist]

Bike lanes were a part of the plan to build Light Rail on Finch Avenue West (along with other streetscape improvements). A shame that won't happen any time soon anymore.

[Dave]

The appropriate charge would seem to be involuntary manslaughter. Send the cyclist to jail for a few years.

Its time to take back the sidewalks from these idiots. Looks like I'm walking everywhere with a good, solid full size umbrella to clock them with.

[amy]

The laws are there, the main problem is no serious enforecment of it.

[Jason]

The people complaining about the dangers of cyclists need to put this in perspective. This is really a man bites dog story - it's extremely uncommon for cyclists to seriously injure or kill pedestrians on sidewalks. Speaking personally I have been an avid walker my whole life (no license, never owned a car) and I have never come close to being hit by a cyclist on a sidewalk. I have never seen anyone injured seriously by a bicycle. Demanding equal punishment for negligent cyclists riding on little plastic and metal frames at slow speeds as is demanded for people riding multi-tonne metal machines is completely out of touch with reality.

Annoying? Yes. Hazardous? Almost never. Cars kill pedestrians and cyclists by the bushel. If they made it front page news every time a cyclist or pedestrian was clobbered by a negligent driver we would never read about anything else.

By contrast, when you cycle on the streets of Toronto, even within bike lanes, you take your life into your hands. Cyclists are, unfortunately, caught between a rock and a hard place. Pedestrians have the sidewalks and drivers have the roads, but cyclists really don't belong anywhere. A cyclist is certainly not equivalent to a car - more like a pedestrian on wheels. So it's asinine to expect cyclists to perfectly conform to all the same rules as a motorized vehicle.

I concur with many of the people asking for bike lanes but I'd go a step further - separated bike lanes. Bikes don't belong on the same road with heavy motor traffic any more than they belong on the same sidewalks with heavy pedestrian traffic. They need separated lanes of their own.

[chris]

I saw a bike in the sidewalk hit a pedestrian from behind. The pedestrian apologized, and the cyclist was giving her a dirty look, as if she did something wrong.

I also was about to cross queen (at bay), when a cyclist came through from the other direction. He wasn't going fast, but there was no way to avoid a collision. I put my shoulder into the cyclist, because I figured I might as well protect myself, and I'm not the one running a light. So I gave him a bit of a shot.. it looked like it woke him up a bit.

I agree no bikes on the sidewalk, except maybe for kids.

[Gloria]

It is against the law for adult cyclists to drive on the sidewalk but unfortunately no one enforces the law and I can't even report the offending cyclists since there are no licenses on bicycles and I don't know who it is.

[Wayne Scott]

The only person seriously advocating for sidewalk cycling is Rob Ford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwxiv2aznB0

[Emile]

It seems that for many of you money can fix everything... 3,75 or 1000000 the result is the same : a old person died, and even a wealth can't replace that. We speak about cyclists, but we can as well speak about pedestrians in a bad way, as well as car. The problem is more about manners in Toronto. People needs to learn how to live together and stop to think and act on their own. In a city where everybody seems to be in a rush from the car driver to the pedestrian and cyclist, this kind of tragedy is probably not to be the last one.

[Stewart Baker]

Don't think twice! Sue the person who struck your father. I was struck on the street in Belleville by two kids on one bike. One was pedalling, the other steering. Both were looking behind at the bike they were racing. It took two years but I was awarded $15,000. I was off work for six weeks with a broken bone in my foot.

[Steve]

A real tragedy here. As a cyclist, motorist, and a pedestrian I recognize that everyone deserves a lane / spot. Too many cyclist are on the sidewalk because motorist terrify them daily. The number of cars who refuse to slow down or wait until it's clear to pass on some roads confounds me. Pedestrian deaths are tragic; so are cyclist who die through thoughtless drives. The bigger vehicle almost always wins.

[Peter Clarke]

This ignorant cyclist should be charged under the Highway traffic Act and be dealt with in the same manner as a careless and reckless drive causing death.

It is Time for Licensing and Insurance Regulations Along with Mandatory wearing of Helmets for all Bike riders or cyclists.

The provincial highway traffic Act apples to cyclists and must be strictly enforced to ensure Bicyclists in Toronto are held to the same standard of accountability as drivers when using City streets.

Time Toronto had Compulsory Registration and Licensing for Cyclists and Bicycles using City Streets.

Now is the time to institute bylaws and regulations by which the bicycling commuters, pedestrians and motorists can safely coexist on Toronto streets.

[Nicole]

It's a big problem, this cyclist/pedestrian/car thing. I know; I actively participate in all three activities. The biggest issue is the lack of education among cyclists and drivers. If the city/province, etc. really wanted to cut down on vehicle/bicycle/pedestrian accidents (saving tax-payers' money in the long run as far as health care costs) then they would make a point to raise public awareness of what the rules are. How about road signs saying cyclists in bike lanes have the right of way in an intersection where they are going straight and the car is turning right (the "right hook")? Sure, I took my driver's license 20 years ago but things have changed. There are more bikes on the streets now and the rules are sometimes fuzzy. I fully believe that if cyclists felt safer on the roads that they would more often avoid the sidewalk. When I cycle down to Bloor from York University, close to where this accident took place, I was surprised at the difficulty navigating the trail system which adds to the problem. A good, safe north/south route would be great, as well as an east/west route on Finch or Sheppard. Frankly, there are places where it is unsafe to cycle because of the traffic. I walk my bike through those areas and they don't usually stretch on for too long.

[Dr. C.]

This is manslaughter. A homicide that was unintended. The family should press the Attorney General for a prosecution. Riding a bike illegally on a sidewalk is one thing; killing a person is another. Pedestrians deserve to be safe from moving vehicles of any kind.

[Darren]

I don't care when the situation is; You DO NOT ride your bike on the sidewalk. Dismount it if you need to go on to the sidewalk and walk with your bike. Dont change this into an issue of bikelanes or politicla muslinging.

[bubba]

I hope the Okamoto children sue the cyclist all the way to bankruptcy. Take his car, house, bank accounts, RRSP and every single cent he has. Remorse doesn't cut it. Saying you're sorry doesn't cut it. Make him pay out of his own pocket for the death he caused.

[Di0nysys]

bike lanes are good for ALL modes of transportation.

[Nilay Ertemur Bhatti]

I think that very funny things are happening, people die and offenders are let go after paying 4 $ in total, this is worse than a really bad joke, I don't know what to say other than wishing that those authorities make judgment calls to change fines, regulations, attitudes towards real victims of these kinds of incidents. Besides, Karen is my friend...