The husband of a pregnant California mother killed while cycling with her family has blamed the city’s removal of its controversial bike lanes for her sudden death.
Matthew Graham was riding beside his wife, 36-year-old Regan Cole-Graham, in Playa del Rey in January when an 87-year-old man allegedly struck her as they neared an intersection, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Both Regan, who was seven months pregnant, and her three-year-old son, who was riding as a passenger on her bike, were rushed to the hospital after the crash. Tragically, only the toddler survived.
The Graham family is now planning to sue the city of Los Angeles, alleging that bike lanes were removed from Pershing Drive – the same stretch of road where Regan and her unborn child were killed, according to KTLA 5 News.
‘That protection, that area of safety was taken away and we believe that was a critical factor,’ Brian Breiter, the family attorney, told the outlet.
In May 2017, the city began rolling out lane reductions, dubbed ‘road diets,’ as part of a Safe Streets for Playa del Rey pilot program that removed traffic lanes in both directions in some areas, according to NBC 4 News.
The move immediately sparked fierce backlash from residents and business owners, who complained that the reductions triggered relentless traffic jams.
Months later, then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former City Councilman Mike Bonin announced that all traffic lanes removed as part of the bike-safety effort would be restored.
Matthew Graham was riding beside his wife, 36-year-old Regan Cole-Graham, in Playa del Rey, California, in January when she was fatally struck by a car
Regan, who was seven months pregnant, and her three-year-old son, who was riding as a passenger on her bike, were rushed to the hospital after the crash
Regan died from her injuries shortly after the crash, but doctors were able to deliver her baby girl, Ophelia. The newborn passed shortly after her mother
‘This pilot program has shown us that lane reductions are not the right approach in Playa del Rey, but we can and will find a way to ease congestion and improve traffic safety in this neighborhood,’ Garcetti said at the time, according to the outlet.
Instead, he unveiled a slate of new safety measures, including speed-feedback signs, flashing beacon crosswalks and additional pedestrian crossings.
‘We have the will and know-how to find smart, balanced, effective and flexible solutions – and I’m confident that the new safety measures we are putting in place will help us accomplish those goals,’ the mayor added.
Meanwhile, Regan’s devastated family is preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging that the decision to remove the bike lanes put cyclists at risk and ultimately led to the deadly crash, KTLA reports.
‘I feel like she was the better parent of the two of us and now I have to try and somehow make up for the void that is so impossible to fill,’ Matthew told the outlet, as he confronted the reality of raising their son alone.
‘Whatever it takes to better the city for other families, because I don’t want any other family to ever have to deal with what we have had to deal with,’ he added.
The nightmare unfolded around 6pm on January 31, when Matthew, Regan and their three-year-old son approached the intersection of Pershing Drive and Manchester Avenue, just two miles from their family home.
In an instant, an elderly man behind the wheel of a white Toyota Camry slammed into the pregnant mother and her toddler, leaving both hospitalized.
The Graham family is planning to sue the city of Los Angeles, alleging that controversial bike lanes were removed from Pershing Drive – the same stretch of road where the deadly crash unfolded, according to reports
On January 31, an 87-year-old man behind the wheel of a white Toyota Camry struck Regan in the intersection of Pershing Drive and Manchester Avenue
Matthew told KTLA this month that he misses Regan every day as he raises their two sons as a single parent
The driver, who remains unidentified, stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. No charges have been filed against him following the fatal collision.
Regan died from her injuries shortly after the crash, but doctors were able to deliver her baby girl, Ophelia. The newborn was treated in the NICU for several days before she too succumbed to her injuries.
‘I saw her die right in front of me with our one-year-old, Theo. The world’s most unbelievable mom was killed doing what she loved best. Being a mom,’ Matthew wrote in an emotional Facebook post two months after the accident.
‘She was nearly eight months pregnant, wildly excited to be a girl mom for the first time,’ he added.
‘Regan’s last act was saving Dale. Heroic with her last breath. I’m wrecked every second of every day without her.’
Matthew told KTLA this month that he misses Regan every day as he raises their two sons, trying to provide them with the support they need while grappling with his own grief.
‘They were addicted to their mother in the best way possible because she was always there for them, always wanted to play and be outside with them,’ he said.
Weeks after the tragedy, about 100 family members and community supporters gathered for a memorial organized by advocacy group Streets Are For Everyone, according to KTLA at the time.
Regan’s unborn child, Ophelia, was treated in the NICU for several days before she too succumbed to her injuries
Regan’s husband said ‘I’m wrecked every second of every day without her’
Advocacy group Streets Are For Everyone Executive Director Damian Kevitt said Regan and Ophelia’s deaths ‘were not an unavoidable accident, but a preventable tragedy’
Two white ‘ghost bikes’ – roadside memorials typically installed where cyclists have been killed, were placed at the site, one honoring Regan and the other her unborn daughter.
In a statement at the time, Streets Are For Everyone Executive Director Damian Kevitt said Regan and Ophelia’s deaths ‘were not an unavoidable accident, but a preventable tragedy.’
She noted that traffic deaths had surpassed homicides in Los Angeles for two years running, and called on the city to speed up the implementation of safety measures and infrastructure improvements.
Jonny Hale, of People’s Vision Zero, also said the memorial served as both a tribute to Regan and Ophelia and a call for safer streets for cyclists, pedestrians and families throughout Playa del Rey.
A GoFundMe page was also launched by the family in the wake of their deaths, describing Regan as ‘a loving and devoted wife, a fierce and joyful mother, a hilarious and loyal sister, and a beautiful, fiery daughter.’
‘We are absolutely overwhelmed at the outpouring of support for Regan and her family,’ a February update read.
‘The tragic killing of my sister and my niece is not something we will ever understand and it has left a hole in our hearts,’ it added.
‘We know that their story has touched many of you and reverberated throughout their community. We just wanted to say thank you so so much for your love.’
A GoFundMe page was launched by the family in the wake of their deaths, describing Regan as ‘a loving and devoted wife’ and ‘a fierce and joyful mother’
Matthew told KTLA: ‘I feel like she was the better parent of the two of us and now I have to try and somehow make up for the void that is so impossible to fill’
As of August, nearly six months after its launch, the family had raised $302,176 – surpassing their $300,000 goal
As of August, nearly six months after its launch, the family had raised $302,176 – surpassing their $300,000 goal.
‘My heart is forever broken,’ Matthew wrote in a Facebook post.
‘Regan was my sun. Her spirit lives on through Dale and Theo especially, but also through everyone who was lucky enough to be connected to her.’
