John Smythe

Thirty-five-year-old John Smythe was killed while riding home on his bike around 3am last Friday near the corner of Sixth and Lamar. Motorist Omer B. Sen, 26, struck Smythe while making an erratic lane change and was later charged with intoxicated manslaughter. City Bike Program Coordinator Colly Kreidler said Smythe's westbound route down Sixth Street, although a designated route per the city's bicycle plan, is identified as having a "low ease of use" since riders share a traffic lane with cars. He said the city has a "full range of projects connecting routes identified as high ease of use." For example, the proposed Lance Armstrong Bikeway, spanning Third, Fourth, and Fifth streets from U.S. 183 in East Austin to Lake Austin Boulevard, will be an alternative for cyclists traveling across downtown in the future. Construction on the project is set to begin next June. Eric Anderson, who helped develop the bikeway, said cycling accidents commonly occur on busy major arterials designated as bike routes but lacking facilities, and that completing the Bikeway and other planned alternatives will improve safety.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:285411

In 2010 we heard from John's sister who said:

"The drunk driver was arrested, let out on bail and fled the country to avoid prosecution."