Local

Man suing Roswell over bike path safety after mother's death

ROSWELL, Ga.,None — The only son of a woman who died after an accident on a local bike path is suing the city of Roswell to make the path safer.

Barbara Nicholas, 66, was paralyzed when she had a head-on collision with two other cyclists on the Big Creek Park and Greenway. The accident was 17 months ago, and Nicholas died two weeks ago of complications of her injuries.

Nicholas' son, Steven Nicholas, told Channel 2's Diana Davis a crash like his mother's could happen again.

The popular bike trail runs from Roswell to Alpharetta. Barbara Nicholas was on an S-curve when she ran head-on into two other cyclists.

Steven Nicholas said his mother was an experienced cyclist and was wearing a helmet.

"She just never saw them, but she flipped back and banged her head back and it broke her neck," Steven Nicholas said.

In the wake of his mother's death, Steven Nicholas is fighting to make the greenway safer. This week, his lawyer will sue Roswell, urging it to make safety improvements.

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Though the Alpharetta part of the bike and walkway has markings dividing the path for cyclists, the Roswell side does not.

Steven Nicholas and his lawyer said the curve where the accident happened is blind, especially when trees are leafed out.

According to attorney Keegan Federal, "There are a lot more safety defects in this particular greenway than just two cyclists running into each other."

Federal said he recently learned of another incident on the path. The cyclist told Federal his neck and back were broken.

Steven Nicholas told Davis he wants to spare other families the heartbreak his family has suffered.

"Anything we can do to lessen the chance of another accident happening is a good thing," Steven Nicholas said.

Federal said the lawsuit will be filed later this week.

The city of Roswell said it does not comment on pending litigation.