Shoreline man dies in bicycle - car hit and run in Seattle

Michael Wang of Shoreline died Friday after he was hit by an SUV while commuting home from work by bicycle on Thursday afternoon, July 28, 2011.

He was on Dexter Avenue North in the South Lake Union neighborhood, when he was hit by an SUV making a left turn onto Thomas Street. The driver of the SUV fled the scene.

Wang was a long-time bicycle commuter and was on one of the busiest bike corridors.

He worked for PATH, a social services agency, and was a gifted photographer.

From our News Partner, The Seattle Times:

At the accident scene Friday, mourners brought bouquets and notes. They put them at the base of a nearby sign. 

"Thanks for being such a good friend," said one note. "I'll miss our runs to the I.D. for 'Blue Collar' Taiwanese lunch. I'll miss your tips for kids and family life and most of all your talents as a true artist and photographer." 

A "ghost" bicycle, one painted all in white, was placed at the site, too, with a sign attached that read: "A cyclist died here." 

Wang was born in Taiwan and moved to New York City at age 9. When he was 17, his mother disappeared, said Wang's wife Claire Allen. Wang's father was so distraught that he left, leaving Wang to finish high school on his own. 

Wang discovered his love of photography while in community college. He began doing magazine and commercial work, but, Allen said, "what he really loved to do was portraits." 

Allen described her husband as unpretentious and thoughtful. 

"This was the happiest time of Michael's life," she said. "He loved being a father. He had come to some peace with the difficulty of his past." 

Wang and Allen have two children: Walter, 12, and Sylvie, 9.  They live in the North City neighborhood of Shoreline.

The entire Seattle Times story...