Natchez Trace records its second cyclist death of 2009
by Danza Johnson/NEMS Daily Journal

BOONEVILLE – A former Mississippian has become the second cyclist to die on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Northeast Mississippi this year.

David B. Allison Sr., 48, was struck from behind Friday by a 2001 Ford Escape on the Trace near milepost 288 in Prentiss County.

According to Trace authorities, the vehicle hit Allison while trying to pass him. Allison reportedly veered into the vehicle's lane as the driver passed him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death is the second bicycle fatality on the Trace in 2009. In April, 51-year-old cyclist Esther Hagemen of the Netherlands was hit and killed by an SUV while riding her bike in Chickasaw County.

A third cyclist death in Northeast Mississippi occurred in August when a Tupelo High School student, John Paul Frerer, was killed after being struck by a vehicle on state Highway 6 near Thaxton.

Because of the Trace's narrow lanes, cyclist-vehicle encounters are a bit closer than they are on normal roads. A normal highway road is 24 feet wide, compared to 22 feet on the Trace.

According to an obituary in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Allison is survived by sons Patrick and David, Jr.; daughter Gwyndolyn and his parents, Avenelle and Bill Allison. He was born in Meridian and moved with his family to Jackson in 1972.

He graduated from Jackson Prep and continued his education at Vanderbilt University. His work took him to a number of places, and he was living in Austin, Texas.