“We all deserve dignity”: Mother says cyclist hit on 7th Street is more than his accident

Seth Renville, a 30-year-old from Great Falls, is the cyclist involved in a May 10 collision on 7th Street. A musician and state champion swimmer, Seth will receive ongoing care from his mother, Shawna Renville, a Certified Nursing Assistant.

A disturbing surveillance video depicts a truck colliding with Seth, launching airborne debris from behind a propane tank. Seth was Mercy Flighted to Billings before spending five days in an intensive care unit.

“He’ll get back to himself eventually. It’ll just take a while,” his mother, Shawna Renville, said.

Seth is receiving care at The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana, where he is undergoing physical, occupational, and speech therapy, according to a GoFundMe set up to support his recovery.

After his discharge from the hospital, Seth, who had been living in Bozeman for a decade, will return home to Great Falls. Shawna will administer his care and transport him to occupational, speech, and physical therapies.

Shawna wants the public to know that her son’s accident does not define him.

Seth was leaving a friend’s place on the day of the collision, not the Cat’s Paw bar, as numerous commenters on The Chronicle’s Facebook page suggested, according to Shawna. She told the Chronicle that Seth rode his bike to cut costs amid rising fuel prices.

“He just wants a happy life like the rest of us do,” Shawna said.

Seth swam competitively with the Montana Federation of Swimmers while in high school, setting state records in the breaststroke. Shawna remembers Seth’s swimming days fondly. Seth’s token cheerleader and snack distributor for the swim team, Shawna earned the moniker “Mama Renville,” which was distributed on team T-shirts.

Seth also harbors a deep affinity for music, according to Shawna. Seth received his first keyboard at three years old and his first guitar at five. He sings, writes songs, and plays “any instrument he can get his hands on.” Part of Seth’s occupational therapy includes playing an acoustic guitar that Shawna brought to his bedside.

“Seth loves music; it’s his lifeline,” Shawna said.

Shawna now has a more urgent cause to cheer for.

“We need to be able to show compassion and care for everyone, not just those we deem worthy,” Shawna said. “The accident doesn’t just affect my son, it affects everyone involved.”

As the Renvilles navigate the “long road forward” to Seth’s recovery, Shawna hopes the accident breeds compassion rather than apathy.

“It was a terrible accident for everyone involved, and hopefully everyone can move forward and live a long, good life,” she said.

Shawna is in contact with the driver who hit Seth in the security camera footage that went viral. Shawna approaches the driver with the same empathy she hopes others will feel for her son, the ambulance drivers, paramedics, and all community members impacted by the incident.

“We’re all human beings, and we all deserve dignity and privacy,” Shawna said.

Additionally, Shawna said she hopes the incident inspires bicycle safety reforms, including additional bike lanes.