Activists demand change after latest deadly bike crash in Tonawanda

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Luke Guetti, 15, died Thursday morning from injuries sustained after he was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bike Tuesday night.

The crash happened just after 8 p.m. at the intersection of Woodstock Ave. and Yorkshire Rd. in the town of Tonawanda.

Since the accident, a memorial has been erected at the corner of the intersection where the accident occurred.

When 2 On Your Side was at the scene Friday, several students were there to console each other and leave gifts as souvenirs.

Meanwhile, vehicles drove past the students gathered on the street. There are only two stop signs at the intersection where Luke was struck. Woodstock Avenue, which runs north-south, has no stop signs at any of the intersections.

“It’s devastating,” said Justin Booth, executive director of GOBike Buffalo. “Unfortunately, we hear it all too often.”

Booth says there are a disproportionate number of cycling-related deaths compared to the number of accidents involving bicycles.

“We know here in Erie County that 3 percent of all crashes involve bicyclists and pedestrians, but bicyclists and pedestrians account for 25 percent of all fatalities and 45 percent of all injuries,” Booth said. “So it happens more often than you might think, and it’s really unfortunate because there are a lot of simple solutions to address these traffic safety challenges.”

GOBike works with municipalities to implement more bicycle-friendly road solutions. In 2023, the City of Buffalo consulted with GOBike to implement temporary modifications to the intersection of Parkside Ave and Linden Ave in North Buffalo.

These temporary changes have been met with mixed reactions from residents.

“In the work that Go Bike has done over the years, every time we try to slow down vehicles and force them to obey the speed limit, the reaction from certain segments of the population is quick and angry,” Booth said. “Nobody likes to slow down and unfortunately, it’s something we have to deal with as a community, as a society.”

Booth says painted curbs, speed bumps and enforcement measures are all affordable ways local governments can make roads safer for drivers and cyclists.

“We can demonstrate how these changes can happen,” Booth said. “We can change the design now and save lives tomorrow.”

But Booth says lawmakers must be willing to use their influence to achieve what GOBike sees as necessary changes.

“We just need the political will to support some of these changes,” Booth said. “It’s a real challenge when you’ve been wondering for 80, 90, 100 years how fast cars can get from point A to point B.”