Slain Bicyclist’s Parents Spur Safety Bills Driver Who Killed 13-Year-Old Got $250 Fine, Is Back On Road

David and Martha Jones vowed that the death of their 13-year-old son Cooper would not be in vain.

On Thursday, they helped start the process of drafting new laws to protect other bicyclists from his fate.

Cooper, a Chase Middle School student, died of massive head injuries July 2 after being hit from behind by a car on state Highway 904 west of Cheney. He was riding his bike in a Baddlands Cycling Club time trial.

He remained in critical condition for more than a week after the June 24 accident.

The penalty for the driver, 66-year-old Glenna Ward of Sprague, was a fine of $250 for second-degree negligent driving.

Washington State Patrol troopers investigating the accident said there was no evidence of alcohol or reckless driving.

Spurred by Cooper’s death, state Rep. Duane Sommers, R-Spokane, intends to introduce legislation in the next session to make it safer for bicyclists on roadways.

Sommers presented the proposal to the House Law and Justice Committee during a public meeting Thursday night in Spokane.

The legislator’s name is on the proposal, but it was Cooper’s parents who best explained why it’s necessary.

“We were very disappointed that (the $250 fine) was the only option available,” David Jones said while legislators leafed through a packet filled with Cooper’s pictures, writings and achievements.

“I certainly don’t think that any of us are served by the fact that this particular driver … can continue to drive,” he said.

The proposed legislation would allow for the automatic suspension of a driver’s license in a fatal collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian.

It also would stiffen legal penalties and require motorists to take a driving test to prove their competence, Sommers said.

Law enforcement officers and prosecutors explained to the committee that although tougher penalties for negligent driving may be worth considering, it is the stiffening of driving requirements that will make the most difference.

“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” said Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Dianne Dougherty. “Drivers’ licensing is an area that needs attention.

“There has to be something that ensures people who use the roads on a daily basis that the other people who are out there with them are competent.”

The proposed legislation, now in its formative stage, is expected to go through many revisions before it’s presented to the House when the legislative session starts in January, Sommers said.

He introduced it Thursday so the Law and Justice Committee could hear from Cooper’s family and supporters during its scheduled meeting.

, DataTimes