An East Bay family says the city of Oakland needs to make safer bike lanes in the wake of a 4-year-old girl's death.
The call to action follows a tragic incident involving Maia Correia, who died from injuries sustained while riding around Lake Merritt in a child’s seat on the back of her father’s bike.
Family and friends of the victim gathered together at Lake Merritt Wednesday night to remember Maia.
On Aug. 6, the girl was riding around Lake Merritt in a child’s seat on the back of her father’s bicycle when a person sitting in a parked car, opened the door into the bike lane and knocked them into oncoming traffic.
They weren’t hit by any cars and when paramedics checked Maia’s condition, her vitals were OK. But later that night, Maia began vomiting. The next day, Maia was unresponsive and when she was taken to the emergency room, doctors found a blood clot forming in her brain.
Despite doctors removing the clot, the swelling in her brain continued, and Maia went into a coma.
Maia died on Aug. 12 after the family took her off life support. Now, her family and the local biking community want the city of Oakland to add more protected bike lanes to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
The city’s transportation department says it’s deeply saddened by deadly incident and will soon add signage around the lake, reminding drivers to be mindful of bicyclists when opening doors.
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And by 2027, the goal is to repave the entire street.
“There’s been a historic disinvestment in the community as far as infrastructure. We’re behind the curve,” said Fred Kelley, director of Oakland's Department of Transportation.
The family will not pursue a case against the man who opened the door after police told them he was remorseful for what took place. Now, they want to honor Maia by making sure others feel protected when riding around the city.
“I’m hoping that Maia’s legacy will be the city doing something about biking safety,” said Hydeah Ghaffari, the victim’s grandmother.
