Joe Shami with his bicycle at the Mt. Diablo summit. Source: MountDiabloCyclists.org
Victim was known as the “Legend of Mount Diablo” for his 600 rides to the top of the peak
By Bobbi Mauler, Executive Assistant to the District Attorney, Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged Lori Everett with a misdemeanor Vehicular Manslaughter in violation of Penal Code section 192(c)(2), for striking cyclist Joseph Shami with her vehicle in Lafayette on April 13, 2021, shortly before 7:00 AM.
Shami was an incredibly experienced cyclist who lawfully entered the roundabout at the interchange of Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road. Despite Shami’s bright helmet and colorful clothing, the motorist failed to yield, and struck the victim cyclist who was in an established lane of travel.
According to Lafayette Police news release reported previously, “a nurse and a doctor from John Muir Medical Center and a firefighter from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, who happened to pass by, immediately began to render aid to the bicyclist. Officers arrived on scene along with the fire department which took over medical care for the victim. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died overnight.” (See related article)
Shami, a retired AT&T engineer, was known as the “Legend of Mount Diablo” for riding to the top of the East Bay’s tallest peak for 600 straight weeks, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He completed his 11-year, 28-week streak in 2019 at the age of 85. Shami was a member of the Mount Diablo Cyclists.
Tragic roadway deaths like this are avoidable. To ensure the safety of our community, the Office of the District Attorney implores motorists to be active, attentive drivers and to be mindful of pedestrians and cyclists when sharing the roadways.
Case information: DKT# 01-197626-5
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