A biker on the Boise Greenbelt died. Her husband seeks millions in damages

BOISE – The family of a woman who died of a traumatic brain injury after crashing her bike on the Boise Greenbelt has filed a tort claim against the city, accusing it of negligence in maintaining its portion of the pathway.

The biker, Donna Simpson, crashed near Lake Harbor Lane, in an area “notorious” for having numerous bumps, the claim read. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department had spray-painted the bumps, which showed it was aware of the problem, the claim argued.

Simpson’s husband and estate sought $10 million in damages from the department and city, according to the tort claim, which was filed in February. Eric Meyer, the attorney who filed the claim, did not respond to a request for comment.

Tort claims are typically filed as precursors to a lawsuit. Victims have 180 days from the date of an incident to file a tort claim, and up to two years from the incident to file a lawsuit.

Simpson crashed in late August – weeks after another biker crashed in the same area and suffered a brain bleed, head laceration and broken collarbone, among other injuries.

The parks department and city’s Risk and Safety Team are responsible for maintaining and upgrading the trail and work to identify and repair hazards. Bonnie Shelton, a spokesperson for the department, declined to comment on the Simpson family’s tort claim, citing ongoing litigation. But the portion of the Greenbelt where the crashes occurred has since been repaired, Doug Holloway, the head of the Parks and Recreation Department, told the Idaho Statesman in September.

The city does not typically hear about crashes or incidents unless a Greenbelt user reaches out, Holloway previously told the Statesman. When the department becomes aware of a problem, Holloway’s team employs “short-term fixes,” smoothing out or highlighting areas of concern with red spray paint to alert users until it can perform repairs, he said.