Photo Source: katu.com
Source: A 65-year-old Camas man who was critically injured Saturday afternoon when he was hit by a car on Highway 18 later died of his injuries. The crash happened around 2:30 p.m., not far from Spirit Mountain Casino. According to the Oregon State Police, Steven Y. Dayley was riding a bike on the shoulder of Highway 18 when a Chevrolet Avalanche truck veered to the right to avoid traffic and struck him. "All I heard was people hollering and I looked up and said 'oh no, a bike got hit' because I could see a person down," said Robin Melcher, who lives nearby. "I heard a big thump, which I'm assuming was the truck hitting the bike, and then a couple of loud screams right after that," said Chris Ridgeway, who works at a nearby bar and heard the crash. She said the driver of the Avalanche was visibly shaken after what had happened. "The driver was frantic, upset, crying," she said. Dayley was badly hurt and was taken to a hospital in Salem for treatment. He died late Saturday night. The driver of the vehicle, 24-year-old Fred M. Moore III of Battle Ground, Washington, was not hurt. Dayley had joined up with other cyclists who were part of an organized ride called Reach the Beach but he had not officially entered. The event began in four different locations in the Willamette Valley and ended in Pacific City on the coast. Dayley was riding with a friend, Anthony Bergshoeff, and the man's wife. Bergshoeff said none of them saw it coming and that Dayley was hit with the passenger side mirror of the vehicle. "I was in front," Bergshoeff said. "He and my wife were riding almost side by side when it happened." Dayley's wife was driving a vehicle as support. She arrived at the scene within about five minutes. Bergshoeff said that although the family was at first angry over what happened, those feelings have passed and they hold no ill will towards the driver. "The family wants him to know - and his family in the car - that we're praying for them," he said. "No grudges. We know accidents happen." Bergshoeff added that Dayley had just been diagnosed with brain cancer last year and went on bike rides because they made him feel normal again. Highway 18 has a reputation as being a dangerous roadway, which prompted the state to define a portion of it as a safety corridor. Still, the people who drive the highway regularly or live and work along it say it's not completely safe. "Cars are fighting for position, especially on a Saturday," said Ridgeway. "Traffic is always backed up on Saturday when the weather gets nice because they're going to the coast." "It's a terrible road," said Bergshoeff. "It's always been a terrible road." Melcher expressed concern about the Reach the Beach event and having so many bicyclists on the highway, especially with the weather so nice and more people on the road. "The highway's not made for bikes," she said. "It's scary. I wouldn't get out there. I wouldn't even get out there and walk."
Collision Data
Crash time: between noon and 2:59 p.m.
Closest Intersection: Spirit Mountain Casino
Land use: don't know
Road type: Urban Freeway or Expressway
Where on the road the collision happened: Shoulder
Collision type: Rear-end
Driver Data
Vehicle type: Automobile
At crash time driver was: Operating the Vehicle in Careless or Inattentive Manner
Sources
Source: News ReportType: TV
Pos/Neg: Negative
Link if Website: http://www.katu.com/news/local/Cyclist-hit-on-Highway-18-near-Grand-Ronde-152170015.html
Source: News Report
Type: Newspaper
Pos/Neg: Neutral
Link if Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/05/65-year-old_cyclist_struck_alo.html

This stretch of road is known to the Oregon State Patrol as “Death Alley.” It has the highest motorist fatality rate in the state, and it has been that way for decades.
That being said, I have ridden this stretch of road many times, on Reach the Beach as well as other rides. I dispute Melcher’s characterization of area as unsuitable for bicycle traffic. There are ample wide shoulders, except for the bridge just before you get to the casino. The most significant part for me is that the motorist left the roadway.
Finally, my wholehearted condolences for Mr. Dayley and for the riders this year of Reach the Beach. What a terrible tragedy.
Steve is my grandfather, and one of my best friends. I have ridden thousands of miles with him, and know that one day, will ride more. Many people do not know, that just a couple of days before the Reach the Beach ride, Steve went in to the doctors office for his monthly CT scan since many of you know that he was fighting a tough round with brain cancer. That day, the doctor was not able to find the cancer on the scan, and broke the sweet news to Steve that his cancer was in remission. It is because of this, that the Dayley Family finds peace in him leaving us, because we know without a doubt, that he was taken because it was God’s time. He did not have to suffer, become weak, and deteriorate from the foul strike of cancer. He beat Cancer. A feat that not many are capable. He left this world doing exactly what he would want to be doing. Riding his bike, and spending time with his beloved wife Karen. The Ride to the pearly gates is long, steep, and extremely difficult. But my grandfather, Steven Y. Dayley, made it to the top. He had a strong faith, and testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and because of that faith, he had no fear in where he was going, or what would happen. Because simply, he already knew. The family is also strong in the faith, and are joyous about the reuniting of our sweet grandfather with our Father in Heaven, and his relatives who have already passed on from this mortal existence. As he would have wanted, anyone who reads this that wants to know about the church, or how to know whether or not it is true, please contact me via Email, and i will be more that ecstatic to share with you my testimony, and the steps to finding out the truth for yourself.
I speak for all the Dayley Family, saying thank you for paying tribute to our wonderful Father, Grandfather, Son, Brother, Uncle, and Husband Steven Y. Dayley.
Thank You,
J. Dayley
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