Canton Bicyclist Fatally Struck Crossing Road a Young Mother

CANTON, Mich. (WJBK) - 27-year-old Beth Maupin of Canton died from injuries she suffered crossing her bike heading east across Haggerty Road at the intersection of Michigan Avenue. It happened Thursday evening.

Family members say she was devoted to her husband, Brent, and four children ages four to four months.

"I'd love for my sister to be remembered as the loving mother that she was to four beautiful babies, a great sister and daughter to her family and someone who's going to be missed terribly," said Stephen Graham. "Just a great person. It's such a horrible thing. We're devastated."

Beth was active in St. Thomas a'Becket parish. She liked to stay fit.

"She was out biking, and her father, myself and her, we were all trying to get in shape, do a triathlon together," Graham said. "Just recently, she signed up for her first 5K and ran it with me."

The driver in the fatal accident was heading south on Haggerty and making a right turn on a red light when Maupin was struck. Biker's on a path cross to connect to sections of the path at Haggerty Road.

Many suggest drivers get better warnings to keep an eye out for bicyclists.

"Signs or something of that nature that there's a bike path," said Daniel Russ. "They could have that no turn on red. That would be helpful, too."

There is shared responsibility at the intersection. The township maintains the bike path, Wayne County Haggerty Road and the state maintains Michigan Avenue.

A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Transportation said the Traffic and Safety Division will survey the intersection to see what kind of measures could be taken to make it safer, especially for bicyclists crossing.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday for Beth Maupin.

A Maupin Family fund has been set up and donations can be made through the McCabe Funeral Home.