Bicyclist’s death another grim reminder of Highway 99 danger

As vehicles whizzed by them, a group of 15 gathered Thursday, Jan. 8, in a crosswalk median on Highway 99 to mourn yet another death along the busy road.

Merle Dean Sheffield, 63, of Eugene died following a hit-and-run collision Saturday, Jan. 3, at the intersection of Highway 99 and Side Street. He was hit while riding his bicycle.

Sheffield’s death came shortly after area residents and homeless advocates shared their concerns with Lookout Eugene-Springfield about this particular stretch of highway, especially the roughly half-mile distance between Roosevelt Boulevard and Royal Avenue.

Vulnerable people — some in shelters and others unsheltered, many of them enduring disabilities and mental health crises — often cross the highway.

Those same concerns bubbled up anew Thursday evening, as people reflected on their friend who died — and the dangers pedestrians face in the area. For the group, there’s a shared awareness of the humanity of those people who live on the margins.

“Throw ‘homeless’ out of the equation,” said David Strahan, who runs Hope on Wheels, a nonprofit that restores recreational vehicles to shelter houseless people. “They’re the citizens of this community.”

Eugene has reported at least five pedestrian fatalities in 2023 and 2024 along this stretch of the highway, among the city’s highest rates. Between 2018 and 2023, at the same intersection, at least one other pedestrian was killed and two others suffered serious injuries in traffic collisions, according to a Lookout Eugene-Springfield analysis.

Strahan, who works along Highway 99, said he has responded to a couple of pedestrian fatalities outside his office.

“I heard the bodies hit the car,” he said. “I’m f— sick of it. This is a human being on the street.”

Strahan would like to see the highway designated a safety corridor. That action can call attention to an area with high traffic fatalities and require extra safety measures, such as drivers using headlights. 

Such a designation, which would require Oregon Department of Transportation action, can come after advocacy from organizations such as neighborhood groups, local agencies or concerned citizens, according to the agency. 

The group gathered also had ideas for immediate measures, like better lighting and reflectors. 

“There’s not enough light,” said John Ring, who lives along Highway 99. “It should not look like this right here. It needs to be lit up a lot more.”

While waiting for long-term solutions, advocates also are taking short-term steps. Before the vigil, Sarah Koski, a community resource liaison at Lane Transit District, passed out reflective gear to passersby.

At the crosswalk island, between the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway, attendees of the vigil put white roses and battery-lit candles in remembrance of the bicyclist.

Kacy Daniel Foster, 36, has been arrested in connection with the case. Foster was charged Thursday with felony failure to perform duties of a driver to injured persons, court records show.

Members of the group that gathered Thursday are looking beyond the criminal justice system to prevent future deaths. 

“This whole street on both sides needs better lighting,” said Staci Clegg, Sheffield’s niece and a Eugene resident. “When it’s raining and it’s foggy out, nobody can see.”

Clegg also asked motorists to be mindful while driving in the area.

“They need to slow down and they need to stay off their phones,” Clegg said. “There have been a lot of people hit here, and it needs to stop. Whether it’s an unhoused individual or if it’s me walking across the street, people need to pay attention. Pay attention to your surroundings, because there are people everywhere out here.”