Cyclist killed on Highway 97 in Lake Country trying to cross road: RCMP

The cyclist killed Tuesday while cycling on Highway 97 in Lake Country was just trying to cross the road, RCMP said in a press release.

“The initial investigation has found that a 70-year-old male cyclist attempted to cross Highway 97 from west to east during morning rush hour traffic when he was struck by a Honda Fit travelling northbound,” RCMP said in a press release.

The man succumbed to his injuries at the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

Cycling advocates say that riding on Highway 97 is a risky proposition at the best of times.

Landon Bradshaw, a director with the Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition, said riding along the highway corridor is not safe for cyclists.

“Cyclists should not be required to ride along the highway when people are going 90 km/h,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw was among those emphasizing that the nearby Okanagan Rail Trail, which remains unfinished and closed north of the Kelowna airport, should be opened quickly to give cyclists a safer option to get from Kelowna to Lake Country than the highway.

“We’ve been sitting here with this route half-closed, with nowhere to go and it feels like we are being left,” Bradshaw said.

— with files from Megan Turcato