Police have identified the victim of Saturday's fatal bike accident on Atlantic Avenue as Jasmine Herron, a young barista at Think Coffee on Mercer Street. Co-workers say she was an avid cyclist, and always wore a helmet. Her neighbor said, "She was a nice girl. It's a tragedy."
The Colorado native, who had moved to Ditmas Park after graduating from the Alberta College of Art + Design in May, had been biking along Atlantic Avenue near Washington Avenue when motorist Krystal Francis opened the door of her parked car. Herron slammed into the door and was thrown into the street, where she was struck by a B45 bus. Both the bus driver and Francis passed breathalyzer tests, but Francis was charged with "aggravated unlicensed driving."
Francis reportedly called 911 immediately after the accident, but quickly returned to a party she was attending nearby. She previously claimed she had nothing to do with the accident, and a friend of hers said, "There was another car behind her that caused the whole accident." Herron's friend Casey Wimpee dedicated a video to her, and wrote on Ill Rapper, "RIP, Jasmine Herron. 2/14/86 - 9/11/10. a sweet, fearless, beautiful, amazing young woman to know & work with, & funny as hell. who else could segue conversations from slavoj zizek to kathy acker to broom of the system while gang of four plays in the background? you & HCB will be dearly missed, valentine."
