EDMONTON – Edmonton Police say a 21-year-old male cyclist was killed instantly after hitting the mirror of a parked truck, and falling beneath a moving vehicle.
The cyclist was heading west on 82 Ave, when he “struck the mirror of a parked truck, and lost control of his bike, and ended up under the wheels of a moving cement truck,” says Acting Inspector Erik Johnson with EPS.
Around 10am Monday, police closed off westbound traffic on busy 82nd Avenue between 100th Street and Gateway Boulevard for most of the day, but the roads have now been reopened.
Officers say the cyclist was struck and killed by a concrete mixer truck at 101st Street.
“Witnesses saw the whole incident, and I arrived shortly thereafter. I was just a couple blocks away,” explains Johnson.
“I think he was just driving, and what I understand from the witnesses, at the last second he saw the mirror sticking out, trying to duck underneath it, and struck it, and that’s what caused him to lose control of his bicycle.
Officers say the driver of the cement truck was not doing well emotionally after the crash.
“He’s not doing too well, obviously suffering from a little bit of shock,” says Johnson. “He’s being treated by EMS right now, and we’re also having our victim services unit come down to speak with him.”
A glum-looking man in a uniform could be seen resting his chin on his arm at the open side door of an ambulance. Police say the driver of the cement truck will not likely face charges.
“Just a freak accident,” is how Johnson describes this fatality. “In fact, he didn’t even realize that he had struck the cyclist at the time. Some witnesses had to flag him down and tell him to stop the truck.”
“The cement truck driver, as I said, had no idea that he’d even run over the cyclist, so he’s not at fault in any way shape or form on this one. We just have to take measurements on the parked truck to make sure it’s parked legally.”
Officers couldn’t say whether or not the victim was wearing a helmet, but say, given the circumstances, it would not have made much of a difference.
“It wouldn’t have helped,” says Johnson. “There’s a full load of cement in that truck, and it weighs massive amounts of tonnes. It wouldn’t have helped.”
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