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Bicyclist hit, killed in downtown Seattle

By Henry Rosoff
By Henry Rosoff

SEATTLE, Wash. — A bicyclist -- identified by friends and neighbors as Sher Kung -- was killed Friday morning after she was hit by a large truck in downtown Seattle.

The crash occurred at Second Avenue and University Street.

Police said the driver of a large box truck was headed south on Second.  When he turned left onto University Street, he struck and killed Kung, a lawyer at Perkins Coie law firmin Seattle.

Witnesses said the bicyclist was heading south in the bicycle lane next to the truck when she was hit as the driver made the left turn.
Police said it is the responsibility of the driver to make sure the lane is clear before turning.
The driver, a man in his 40s, was sobbing after the crash.

University was closed between Second and Third avenues, as well as one lane of southbound Second Avenue during the investigation.

Second Avenue is about to be remodeled to include a special bike lane, where bikers will be protected by posts and even parked cars for stretches.  Bicyclists said the new lane configuration, complete with new intersection signals likely would have saved Kung.

In addition to working for Perkins Coie, Kung was also part of an ACLU legal team that successfully challenged the military's "don't ask don't tell" policy on behalf of Maj. Margaret Witt in 2010.  Witt was discharged in 2004 from the Air Force when officials found out she was a lesbian.  The legal victory is considered a landmark decision leading up to the repeal of DADT.

Kung leaves behind a seven-month-old baby.

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