The latest death of a cyclist killed near the airport is the fourth one since 2015 in Memphis

The latest death of a cyclist killed near the airport is the fourth one since 2015 in Memphis
By:  Michael Lander

This is the intersection of Winchester and Bishops Bridge
Road, (near Memphis International Airport).  It is the
scene of the latest fatality of a cyclist in Memphis.
There have been seven of these since 2010.

A 49-year-old Memphis area cyclist, Archer "Archie" Sims, was struck and killed Thursday morning, Aug. 4, 2016, near the intersection of Winchester and Bishops Bridge Rd., near Memphis International Airport.

Sims, who died at the scene, was attempting to cross Winchester Rd., just west of Bishops Bridge Rd., at around 5:30 a.m., when he was hit by a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe.  

Sims had been traveling east on Winchester from his Whitehaven residence, which is approximately seven miles away from where the crash occurred. 

He was reportedly wearing dark clothes and he did not have a helmet on.

The driver of the Tahoe has been identified as 27-year-old Melvin D. Campbell who remained at the scene following the accident. 

Campbell was subsequently transported to the traffic office at 1925 Union Ave. where he gave a statement and was then arrested for an outstanding warrant, driving with a suspended, revoked, or canceled license, and for not having insurance.

Sims is believed to have been on his way to work, which was about 13 miles southeast of his home.

He was a Memphis resident who was originally from Hernando, Miss.  He graduated from high school in Hernando and was employed at Valley Crest Landscape Maintenance, located at 5345 E. Holmes Rd.  

On social media, Sims identified Proverbs 25:28 as being one of his favorite Biblical passages:  "He who hath no control over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."
 

This is an image of a ghost bike.  Ghost bikes are often placed
at the scene of where cyclists are killed.  The location of
Memphis' latest fatality of a cyclist often has a high volume
of vehicular traffic that is traveling above the speed limit
with little room for cyclists and no bike lanes.  (Photo:
Courtesy of ghostbikes.org)

Sims is the latest death of a cyclist on Memphis area streets and he is the fourth one since 2015.  The other three were Justin Townsend, Zachary Walls, and Eric Dyrell Tayor.  

The death of a cyclist before Sims was Justin Townsend who was riding his bicycle when he was run over and killed on Oct. 9, 2015 in a hit-and-run crash not far from his North Memphis home.

Prior to Townsend's death was Zachary Walls who was struck and killed in the Binghampton neighborhood at the intersection of Sam Cooper and Tillman on Monday, March 9, 2015.  

Like Townsend, Eric Dyrell Taylor was also killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding on the 3300 block of New Getwell Road near Winchester on Feb. 25.  Click here for more information on their deaths.

Altogether, since 2010, the Memphis area has witnessed the deaths of seven cyclists.  The latest death is the only one, thus far, in 2016.  There were three in 2015 and there was one that occurred in July 2014 at U.S. Hwy 61 and Star Landing Rd in Desoto County in Mississippi.

All of these deadly accidents are a sad and tragic reminder of some of the dangers that cyclists can face any time that they ride, and it further emphasizes the need for cyclists to remain vigilant, particularly on roads with a high volume of traffic moving at or above the speed limit.

The latest death of a cyclist in Memphis shows that, even
though the city has made strides with bicycle lanes and
trails, there is still a lot more than can and should be
done to make them even safer for Memphis area cyclists.

Even though accidents cannot always be avoided, cyclists can take precautions to help minimize some of the risks that are involved, most notably, having bikes that are equipped with lights on the front and back, with reflectors, by wearing bright and reflective clothing, and by choosing alternative roadways that do not have high volumes of traffic with vehicles traveling at excessively high rates of speed.

Here are some links to some valuable safety-related information that should help to make each bike ride a much safer experience for all cyclists:  http://memphiscyclist.com/html/safetytips.html, http://bicyclesafe.com/, and http://yieldtolife.org/tips/cyclists.

For funeral and visitation information on Archer Sims, you can contact N.J. Ford Funeral Home, at 12 South Parkway West, by calling 948-7755 or by visiting their website at:   http://www.njfordandsonsfuneralhome.com/services.htm.