EDMONTON - A 21-year-old man is dead after he was crushed underneath the back wheels of a cement truck on Whyte Avenue Monday.
Police say the cyclist was heading westbound on Whyte Avenue in the right-hand lane when he struck the extended mirror of a parked Dodge Ram near 101 Street and tumbled underneath the cement truck.
Witnesses said the man tried to duck beneath the mirror before losing control of his bicycle, said police. He was pronounced dead on scene by paramedics.
“It’s a freak accident where he hit a mirror and just lost control of his bicycle,” said Acting Insp. Erik Johnson with Edmonton Police Service.
“It’s unfortunate that nothing could be done by the (cement truck) driver to avoid him,” said Johnson, adding police believe the mirror of the parked truck took the cyclist by surprise.
The truck’s mirror was bent forward a short distance from where the body was covered beneath a tarp behind the cement truck’s back wheels.
Johnson said the collision was “one of the worst” he has seen in his 16 years as a police officer.
Police cruisers blocked off both the eastbound and westbound lanes between 101 Avenue and Gateway Boulevard for three hours as traffic investigators examined the scene.
The cyclist’s name is not being released pending notification of kin.
Not charges have been laid.
Traffic investigators were seen taking measurements to figure out if the Dodge Ram was parked legally, said Johnson who added the cement truck driver is not considered at fault.
“The cement truck driver had no idea that he’d run over the cyclist so he’s not at fault in any way, shape or form at this point,” said Johnson.
The owner of the parked truck approached police and gave a statement, said Johnson.
Johnson encouraged Edmonton’s cyclists to pay attention while riding on busy roads.
Cyclists should move into the middle of the lane for their own safety when avoiding parked vehicles, suggests Johnson.
Cyclist James O’Hara rides his bicycle along Whyte Avenue daily to the University of Alberta Hospital — where he has worked for more than 20 years.
O’Hara said he rides on the sidewalk as he was once struck riding on the congested avenue.
“I stay to the sidewalks,” said O’Hara, “I can’t ride on the street here. It’s too dangerous and it’s too narrow. Somebody behind you can hit you. It’s so easy.”
The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society placed a memorial “ghost” bike on the median between lanes near the scene of the collision Monday afternoon.
Painted black and white, ghost bikes serve as reminders of tragic collisions and statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel, said society spokesman Chris Chan.
“It’s not to lay blame or imply anything in that regard but its just a reminder that cyclists and drivers share the road and we all need to be more aware of each other.”
Chan suggested the city should redesign Whyte Avenue to incorporate a bike lane. It’s something he believes would foster and protect both pedestrians and cyclists.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/08/2...y-cement-truck http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/investiga...e-ave-1.931766
