SEATTLE (CN) - A well-known Seattle attorney who litigated a case leading to the overturn of the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy was killed in a bicycle accident Friday.
Sher Kung, 31, was an associate at Perkins Coie and a legal fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union when she helped successfully challenge the policy barring openly gay and lesbian service members.
Kung represented Major Margaret Witt after Witt was discharged by the Air Force for being a lesbian. Witt had served in the Air Force for 20 years and was several months away from retiring with full benefits.
The case was dismissed in U.S. District Court, but reinstated on appeal by the 9 th Circuit . The Obama administration refused to appeal and U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton ruled Witt should be reinstated because her constitutional rights were violated.
Kung was bicycling to work Friday morning when she was struck by a turning truck and died at the scene. The street where the collision happened is notorious for bicycle accidents and the city will be installing a protected bicycle route there in less than two weeks, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
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