Support Accountability for the Driver who Killed Matt Keenan

On September 21, 2021, Matt Keenan left his home in North Park to bike to the movies in Mission Valley. He made this trip often, and always used the brightest bike lights possible and took the safest route available.

Halfway through his journey, he was riding in the bike lane of Camino Del Rio South when a driver traveling the opposite direction crossed over the double yellow line and into the bike lane, hitting him head on at over 35 miles per hour. She never saw him and did not even hit the brakes.

Since the deadly crash, Matt’s wife, Laura Keenan, has become San Diego’s most tireless and effective advocate for safer streets. Now, the driver who killed Matt is being sentenced, and Laura needs our help.

Despite being entirely at fault for Matt’s death, the driver is pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence, which carries a sentence of only a three-year license suspension and no jail time. We believe that this is an outrageously low penalty for a driver who killed someone. 

However, the judge will have the opportunity to tack on other penalties like community service and probation at the sentencing hearing. To show the judge how much Matt’s loss has hurt our cycling community, we need as many people as possible to attend the hearing and send an email to the judge demanding accountability. Please plan on sending your email by Wednesday, February 22 at the latest.

We don’t believe that the criminal justice system is the solution to traffic violence, but drivers must face a minimum of accountability when their callousness kills.

This isn’t just about Matt Keenan, though. We need to show that there is strong public support for holding drivers accountable when they kill. Please join us.