Police and rescue personnel convene around the scene of the collision as they begin the investigation into the accident.
The cyclist killed in Thursday's accident on campus came from a family that made a mark on America.
Bonnie Tinker, a 61-year-old, had traveled from Portland, Ore., to attend the Friends General Conference, an annual meeting for members of the Society of Friends religious group, commonly called Quakers.
Bruce Birchard, General Secretary of the Friends General Conference, said Tinker was known for her ability to help others understand her causes.
"She's been a real leader in the Quaker community," Birchard said. "She was actually leading a workshop last week and had completed five of the six days when she was tragically killed."
The driver of the dump truck involved in the accident has been named.
Paul Bandy was driving the William G. Simmons Company dump truck when it collided with Tinker.
Bandy is originally from Shawsville, Va.
Tinker was pronounced dead at the site, but investigations of the crash are still ongoing. When they are complete, the Commonwealth's Attorney will decide whether charges against Bandy are warranted.
The truck was delivering loads of dirt to Shultz Hall for a construction project.
The workshop Tinker was working on at the time of her death was entitled "Opening Hearts and Minds: Speak Peace." It focused on teaching an approach for dealing with those who disagreed with a cause by finding common ground.
"Bonnie practiced that for all her life," Birchard said.
She was the founder of Love Makes a Family, an "organization of families headed by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people, and their friends," according to the organization Web site.
"They worked tirelessly for marriage equality and for recognition of the marriages people made," Birchard said.
The organization's Web site said it was founded after Tinker made a video on gay and lesbian Quaker families.
Tinker raised three children with her partner, 67-year-old Sara Graham.
Birchard described a moment in which Tinker softened the conviction of a person who opposed a gay marriage referendum she was supporting in Oregon.
"She went on a radio talk show with a person who was virulently opposed to such unions and she was able to engage him," Birchard said. "Not by fighting with him, but by opening up and listening to his personal truths."
Activism was a key part of Tinker's life.
Longtime friend Kristan Knapp said she was outspoken for peace and civil rights, but also in her daily life, from the school board to the local government.
"Bonnie was not segmented into personal life and activist life," Knapp said. "She was an activist in all parts of her life."
Knapp met Tinker in 1971, when Tinker first moved to Oregon with a group of college students from her native Iowa.
Political activism was a part of her life even in the early stages of her childhood.
Tinker's family was the victor in a well-known Supreme Court case that set the precedent for free speech in schools.
Tinker vs. Des Moines School District ruled students could protest war in school, a victory for free speech advocates.
In that 1968 case, two of Bonnie's younger siblings, John and Mary Beth, were suspended from their school for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War.
Lorena Tinker, Bonnie's mother, spearheaded the case against the school district.
Lorena Tinker died in February 2008.
Following her move to Portland, Ore., Tinker became involved in numerous parts of the feminist movement.
Leave a comment 5 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
about 5 people might care about this les
Reply to this Top
Actually, that is not true. This is a university and there are many ways to learn. It is a very interesting article about a person who was a guest on our campus and died tragically. Many people who read this care.
Reply to this Top
I knew Bonnie 35 years ago, as the older sister of a good friend. During a miserable middle school period, where boys sometimes acted as though they couldn't hear anything said by girls during a serious conversation (we're talking teenagers in the early 70's), Bonnie was proof that not only was there was life after high school, but it could be what you wanted it to be. I haven't seen her or her family in ages, but I miss her spirit.
Reply to this Top
Not a surprise the way cars, trucks, and vans just drive on sideWALKS everywhere around the campus. I sometimes am forced to walk on the road because the trucks are driving on the sidewalks. So this in no way shocks me.
Reply to this Top
I am very comforted to have read such nice words in regards to someone that I was not close with, but affected by from a distance.
Reply to this Top