We've all seen this tragedy before. The details match a number of local cyclist deaths in Chicago. The driver was under the influence (drugs and/or alcohol). It was a hit and run. The cyclist was an important, loved member of the cycling community. Now his family has lost their loved one. 

Michael Prater, 42, succumbed to injuries he sustained after he was struck by an SUV, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

The charges for the driver arrested in connection with the crash were upgraded to aggravated vehicular homicide on Monday following Prater's death.

Melinda Woodall, 34, of Amelia, was driving west on Kellogg Avenue just before 4 p.m. near Asbury Road when her vehicle drifted into the shoulder, according to the sheriff's office.

According to court records, Woodall's license was suspended and drugs were a factor in the crash.

Investigators reported Prater was cycling in the same direction as Woodall's jeep. He was struck, thrown from his bicycle and landed on the road.

"This is a favorite route for many cyclists due to the wide shoulders, light traffic, and scenic views," Drifmeyer said. "Most cyclists say they feel very safe on that route."

Boltz said the route was a normal training run for Prater, “a ride he had literally done hundreds of times.”  Full article.

Former Chicago resident and avid cyclist, Katie Vogel wrote a response to the tragedy, "Opinion: City ignoring plan for bike safety".

While this was written for Ohio, the much of the same could be said for Illinois. I recommend reading the entire article but here's an excerpt:

Smart public policy might not have prevented an opiate user from getting behind the wheel of a multi-ton automobile.

But, smart public policy can help us to have a conversation that we haven’t had: that bicyclists, whether for recreation or for daily transportation, take our lives into our own hands when we ride. We can’t control every variable with policy. But we can build a safer city that takes into mind the necessity of caring for our most vulnerable road users.

In 2010, I was on the citizen advisory panel for the city’s bicycle plan – a plan that’s now sitting on a shelf. According to the plan and to the most recently updated bicycle infrastructure map, to date, only 47 percent of the plan is on track.

Smart public policy would be for the city of Cincinnati to take its bike plan off of the shelf and stop treating bicyclist safety like it is just a line item in the budget.

Smart public policy would be for the state of Ohio to adopt HB 110, which would increase penalties for hit-and-run drivers.

These are important – necessary – steps. But still it’s true that smart public policy isn’t enough. And anger is exhausting.

No road user is perfect. We’ve all made mistakes. Most of us are lucky enough to not have those mistakes profoundly affect the outcomes of our lives or the lives of others.

But we have to have a conversation as a city and a region.

And it starts by seeing one another’s humanity. We are human. We are frail.