Family of Seattle bicyclist killed in crash settles lawsuit for $1.5M

The family of a Seattle man killed in a bicycle accident more than two years ago has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit for $1.5 million.

Kevin Black, a molecular research scientist at the University of Washington and father of two young daughters, was killed in a collision with a van as he rode his bicycle to work in Ballard on Feb. 4, 2009. The accident happened at 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 65th Street as Black was riding south in the bicycle lane.

The driver of a van, owned by Ambient Control, a refrigeration and HVAC company, made an abrupt U-turn, causing Black to strike the van. The van then ran over Black.

According to Seattle police, the U-turn was illegal.

Several months after the crash, Black's family filed a lawsuit against Ambient Control and driver Jonnielynn Wilbur, of Gig Harbor, according to King County Superior Court records. A trial had been scheduled for later this year, but both sides recently reached a settlement after mediation, said attorney James S. Rogers, who represented the estate of Kevin Black.

"He was a good dad," Rogers said of Black. "He loved his kids."

Black's daughters are 12 and 15.

Rogers said he hopes the suit brings about an increased awareness by drivers about bicyclists. He said that Black was an experienced cyclist who commuted daily on his bicycle.

"We need to be aware of their space and issues of safety when driving," he said. "This was a preventable tragedy."

Neither the owners of Ambient Control nor the company's attorney returned calls for comment on Tuesday.

Seattle Times news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com