Annual Wildomar Bicycle Safety Event Striving To Save Lives

On a summer afternoon in July 2007, Sheri Possehl’s 15-year-old son Jessie was killed while riding his bike along River Road in Perris.

The driver who hit him never stopped.

Jessie succumbed to massive internal injuries, but a brain scan revealed his head was uninjured.

The morning of the day he was killed, Jessie – a typical teen who was meticulous about his hair -- asked this question before heading out on his bike, “Mom, do I have to wear a helmet today?”

“Yes!” Possehl answered definitively.

As difficult as it is for Possehl to recount that day in 2007, she did so Saturday during Wildomar’s Bicycle Safety Event held in the Albertsons shopping center off Clinton Keith Road.

The annual event, sponsored this year by the Wildomar Rotary Club and the , is designed to promote bicycle safety and raise public awareness.

“It’s great seeing so many kids here today wearing helmets,” Possehl said, adding that she attended Saturday’s event as a reminder to motorists to watch for bicyclists who share the roadways.

Possehl certainly can't forget: The man who struck Jessie – Tyler Scott Trotter -- was eventually apprehended and served just two-and-a-half years behind bars, she said.

“Watch those bicyclists out there,” Possehl reminded.

While Jessie was wearing a helmet, other recent cyclist victims were not.

“Our first year as Wildomar Rotary (2009), we had two kids die on bikes – one in Lake Elsinore, one in Wildomar,” said Wildomar Rotary President Andy Morris. “Neither was wearing a helmet.”

As recently as January 14, , 13, of Lake Elsinore died after he was struck by a motorist on Riverside Drive and Collier Avenue in Lake Elsinore. According to police, he wasn’t wearing a helmet and died at the scene from a major head injury.

To help prevent future bicyclist fatalities, Injury Prevention Services/Riverside County Department of Health and Safe Kids Inland Empire were on hand Saturday giving out nearly 200 free, brand-new bicycle helmets to area youth.

As the children were measured to ensure proper helmet fit, representatives provided educational information about bicycle safety.

Morris said having the two organizations at Saturday's event was vital because many families in the community are unable to afford helmets for their kids.

“This helps the underserved and promotes safety,” he said.

Michelle Anguiano of the county’s Injury Prevention Services said bicycling is a healthy activity and should be promoted in the community.

“We are trying to start a coalition in this area as part of the county’s Safe Routes to School Program,” she said.

The program is designed to ensure kids can walk and bike to school safely. A coalition is in place in Riverside, and that group works with developers, city leaders, businesses and others to integrate a community plan for safe school routes.

Parents and others interested in learning more about forming a local coalition can contact Gail Carlson with the Riverside County Department of Public Health at 951-358-7171.

Saturday's event, which saw various other organizations showing support -- such as the Lake Elsinore Unified School District and Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department -- also had a fun side. Kids rode their bikes through obstacle courses, and BMX Pros Trick Team riders performed stunts before a large audience of star-struck kids.

Several hundred people were in attendance at the event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.