No charges will be filed after an investigation into a crash that killed a bicyclist in State College earlier this summer, borough police said on Friday.
Jose Sajbin, a 36-year-old husband and father of two, was traveling north on the bicycle path crossing Edgewood Circle at about 7:55 p.m. on June 9 when he was struck by a 16-year-old driving a 2010 Honda Accord toward Saxton Drive. He died the following day at UPMC Altoona, where he was flown for treatment.
Police wrote in a statement on Friday that as the motorist and Sajbin reached the intersection of Edgewood Circle and the bike path, where stop signs are posted, their lines of sight were obstructed by a vehicle that was legally parked on the street near the bike path.
After being struck, Sajbin was ejected from his bike and landed in the roadway. The driver immediately stopped after the collision, police wrote.
“The investigation determined that speed, alcohol or drugs were not contributing factors to the crash,” police wrote. “No charges will be filed as a result of the investigation.”
A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $24,000 to assist Sajbin’s family with funeral services and repatriation to his native Guatemala.
“The funds were able to pay for funeral services in State College as well as transporting Mr. Sajbin to Guatemala, where his family there were able to also grieve and say goodbye with their own services,” organizer Paige Davis wrote in an Aug. 3 update. “The remaining funds support his family in State College. The family is grateful for the outpouring of love in this community. They recognize this was a tragedy and hope for peace for everyone involved.”
Sajbin’s death was met with with anguish and continued calls for bicycle safety and infrastructure improvements by community members, including State College Mayor Ezra Nanes.
“My heart hurts for his family and his friends,” State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, an avid cyclist and advocate for bike infrastructure improvements, said during an emotional statement at a June borough council meeting. “…One death is too many and our entire community mourns the loss of this community member.
“…My personal, repeated talking about pedestrian and bike safety is very serious business and I want us to take action to respond to this tragedy and to continue to prioritize those investments so that this is the last time this will happen in our community,” Nanes said. “I place no blame, I only call us all to action.”
Resident Matthew Herndon called for measures such as elevated bike paths, at the Greentree neighborhood crossing where Sajbin was fatally injured and elsewhere.
“The absolute worst outcome of not building this infrastructure happened and a cyclist was killed by a car in our town,” Herndon said. “I’m just again advocating that we do something. One death is far too many.”
The borough has issued a request for proposals for a comprehensive mobility study and staff were expected to interview consultants over the summer. The mobility study will “integrate borough plans, policies and ordinances by hiring a consultant to develop a safe, reliable, equitable, integrated and connected multi-modal transportation system that will enable access, mobility, sustainability, economic development and health and well-being for residents and visitors,” Public Works Director Sam Robbins said.
