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Cycling community mourns death of woman on Highway 17

Local cyclist says condition of some roads, careless motorists to blame for many fatalities, injuries
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As reported by OPP earlier Thursday, Amy Jaye Willson, 31, of South Africa was pronounced dead at the scene of a collision involving her bicycle and a motor vehicle on Highway 17 Wednesday evening, west of Dayton Road in the Municipality of Huron Shores.

OPP state their investigation determined the westbound cyclist was struck from the rear by a westbound car.

While the investigation continues, every cyclist feels the loss.

“It’s sad. It’s just devastating,” said Joel Wenham of Sault bike shop Velorution, speaking to SooToday.

“A lot of cyclists have experienced close calls, where motorists are buzzing by you within inches of you. I’ve never been hit but I have many friends who have been hit and luckily have survived, but it’s just devastating to hear about someone who has travelled across the world to cycle across Canada and gets hit by a motorized vehicle,” Wenham said.

The condition of many roads, Wenham said, is partly responsible for bicycle fatalities or injuries on the highways.

“On Highway 17, the shoulder of it is very, very small, the infrastructure there is not very bike-friendly. It is changing, I have seen sections of the highway that have nice, wide, paved shoulders and that helps out everybody, it helps out the drivers and cyclists, everybody has their own lane.”

“On the other side, some drivers need to be educated. You need to give space when you pass bicyclists, bicycles are vehicles too. Educating motorists goes a long way,” Wenham said.

“Sometimes drivers are not aware of their space, not on purpose, but some aren’t aware of how big their trailer or RV is, that kind of thing, and there is a small percentage of irate people who just don’t like cyclists for whatever reason. That’s the scary part for me. Very scary, and I know some people who have stopped bicycling on the road because of that type of thing.”

“I’ve gotten nicked by a motor vehicle mirror a couple of times, and one time had to actually drive off the shoulder and crash on purpose to just not get hit by a car.”

Wenham said he was not injured in that incident, which he said occurred east of the city.

“I landed in some bushes, I was more angry than anything.”

Wenham said there is a sense of camaraderie among all bicyclists and a sense of loss when a bicyclist loses his/her life in a collision.

“It’s amazing hearing this news and being affected by it without even knowing this person, because we’re all in the same boat. It could be me next week or someone I know, the cycling community is very tight knit around the world.”

Still, Wenham and countless other cyclists pedal on, undaunted.

“There’s a risk in anything we do in life.”

“I’ve accepted the risk of riding my bike. It’s worth it. Cycling’s awesome. It’s good for yourself and the environment,” Wenham said.   


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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