The Kamloops man, BC, was driving on a separate multipurpose path from the city’s Juniper neighborhood when he collided with an industrial truck on the afternoon of May 11th. He is being treated at an intensive care unit in Vancouver since the accident. Now his wife is sharing their story in hopes of preventing another cycling tragedy, prompting the city to reconsider how it approaches the multi-purpose infrastructure. Most pressing is that Jen van der Westhuizen is looking for answers to why large trucks will be allowed to regularly cross a multi-purpose lane used by cyclists. The city of Kamloops has found that vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, are overrepresented in serious accidents – involved in 14 percent of all accidents, but are 50 percent of serious injuries and fatal accidents. Earlier this year, the Inner City pledged to try to reduce road accidents. zero, including collisions with bicycles and pedestrians. So far, it has gathered research information from residents about their conflicts and is now collecting more data.
The crash
Jen said her in-laws were visiting on the week of the accident, so the whole family planned to get off the bike to pick up the couple’s eldest daughter from the school bus. They were late, so he went to make sure someone was there when the bus arrived. He was waiting at the bottom of the hill when he received a call from another mom saying that there had been an accident and traffic had been blocked in both directions. Jen and Andrew van der Westhuizen and their family are avid cyclists. (Submitted by Jen van der Westhuizen) He assumed that Andrew would help as he has a medical background, as a radiologist at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. She waited with a group of children, but began to worry when her calls did not reach Andrew and her mother-in-law. Eventually she reached her father-in-law, who told her that Andrew was in the car. He said police in an unmarked vehicle monitored the collision and called immediately, meaning that first responders were able to begin providing care as soon as possible. “Those moments at that time made a difference,” Jen said. Andrew was taken to hospital with severe abdominal injuries and a large concussion. Kamloops staff stabilized him enough to fly to Vancouver.
“It continues to surprise us”
Since the accident, he has undergone six surgeries at Vancouver General Hospital and received more than 50 units of blood. More than a month after the crash, he is awake but remains in intensive care and still does not speak. “It has a small wave that can wave and it gives us a smile and a smile,” Jen said. Andrew van der Westhuizen and his two children. (Submitted by Jen van der Westhuizen) It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. “He has amazed all his specialists, all his doctors and he continues to amaze us that he is still here and he is still with us and he is still fighting to get back to us,” Jen said. Jen said experience has shown tremendous value in creating an organ donation list and blood bank – and also underscores its seriousness. staffing challenges for health care workers in Kamloops, which was part of the reason Andrew moved to Vancouver. “Kamloops did not have the equipment, support and staff to perform the surgeries Andrew needed,” Jen said. He would like to see the province do more to help the healthcare system through a greater impetus for hiring and retaining workers in the city.
The safety of cycling is questioned
Jen is also deeply concerned about the factors that led to her husband’s crash. Industrial trucks are allowed to cross the bike path as part of a significant development and expansion taking place in Juniper. “This should be the safest bike lane we’ve seen in Kamloops … because it is completely off-road, but then the decision to build a huge construction site that runs five days a week and trucks run every five minutes at least “Crossing this lane just surprises me,” he said. Kamloops Cycling Coalition founder Cheryl Fraser agrees. “That something like this could have happened on a multipurpose trail – it just makes you wonder as a cyclist and as a vulnerable road user, where are you safe?” he said. There are clearly marked signs both on the road and on the multipurpose path that indicate that there are trucks in the area. There are also speed limits on the trail that limit the cyclist’s speed to 20 km / h. Trucks cross a multipurpose path on Highland Road. (Jenifer Norwell / CBC) However, Fraser wants to make sure the city properly updates its cycling infrastructure and ensures that the safety of all users is taken into account. For that to happen, cyclists need to talk, he said. “We need to be stronger in how the city and the general public deal with vulnerable road users,” he said. “Nothing is going to change if the city does not receive news from the citizens.” Fraser says education and policy change are vital to help prevent future cyclist accidents. As part of the Vision Zero initiative to reduce road accidents, city staff continue to collect stories of people involved in accidents and will present this information – along with collision data reviews, collision analyzes and information from industry partners – in the fall board. “Our sincere thoughts and wishes are with the Van der Westhuizen family during this difficult time,” the city of Kamloops said in a written statement. “The city is committed to improving the safety of our active transport and road network and recognizing that cyclists and pedestrians are more vulnerable to serious injury or death in a collision.” The RCMP reports that the investigation into the collision between Andrew van der Westhuizen and the truck is ongoing. Daybreak Kamloops17: 23 Feature Interview: Kamloops man still recovering from bicycle accident in Juniper Kamloops’ Andrew van der Westhuizen remains in hospital in Vancouver. It has been almost a month now since he collided with a construction truck while riding his bike on Highland Drive in Juniper. We received an update from his wife – Jen.
