Maridee Bonadea, 76, a longtime and well-known Vashon rider, was killed Monday morning while bicycling on SW Wildwood Place, just uphill from the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Friends have already marked the spot with a white “ghost bike,” flowers and handwritten notes, and an informal memorial is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Lisabuela Park on Vashon Island. City and police officials say the collision remains under active investigation as neighbors and fellow riders grieve.
Police account of the crash
Seattle Police say Bonadea was riding eastbound near 47th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Wildwood Place when she first struck a parked car, then was hit by a box truck, Detective Brian Pritchard told KIRO 7. Officers said the truck driver stayed at the scene and showed no signs of impairment. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is leading the case and is working to determine what caused Bonadea to lose control.
Witnesses and truck pass
A witness who said she called 911 described the truck’s pass as “far too tight” and said Bonadea was squeezed between parked cars and the passing box truck, according to the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. That account differs in detail from the early summaries released by police. The Beachcomber reports that commercial-vehicle inspectors checked the truck and found no violations. The outlet also reports that Bonadea was pronounced dead at the scene and that friends remembered her as an experienced, safety-conscious rider.
City review and safety questions
The Seattle Department of Transportation says it will carry out a site review that looks at street design, traffic operations and maintenance needs, and aims to finish that initial work within four weeks, an SDOT spokesperson told West Seattle Blog. The collision has reignited calls from bike advocates and their allies who argue the city needs to move faster on safety projects funded by recent transportation levies. Seattle Bike Blog has highlighted advocates’ criticism of how slowly that work is rolling out.
Memorial and next steps
Friends and members of the Rainbow Riders painted and installed a ghost bike at the corner, surrounding it with flowers, notes and Pride flags, the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber reports. An informal gathering “to process our shock and support [Maridee’s wife] Laura and family” is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Lisabuela Park, organizers told West Seattle Blog. Neighbors say the narrow, parked-car-lined stretch of road just uphill from the ferry dock has long made passing feel perilous, and they are pushing for design changes so no one else is killed on that hill.
How to help
Police have urged anyone with video or other information about the collision to contact investigators, according to the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is handling collision tips and evidence, and neighbors say they are hoping the findings will lead to concrete safety fixes on the hill above the ferry dock.
