A 74-year-old bicyclist was hit and killed riding his bike Wednesday morning on Tucson’s eastside.
The crash occurred around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Craycroft Road and 22nd Street.
According to a Tucson Police Department press release, John Venneman, 74, was riding north on Craycroft Road and rode through the intersection when north and southbound traffic had a red light.
Police say drivers in two of the eastbound 22nd Street lanes of traffic spotted the cyclist riding in the crosswalk against the light, but a driver in the lane closest to the median did not see Venneman and struck him.
Venneman was taken to the hospital where he died.
police report: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/police/media-releases/Fatal_Bicycle_Collision_-_S._Craycroft_Rd_and_E._22_St.pdf
kgun9 article http://www.scrippsmedia.com/kgun9/news/Bicyclist-injured-by-car-on-eastside-327880761.html
2007 Dodge Nitro curb weight 4000lbs (1800kg), speed limit: 40mph (64km/h)
observations:
1. bicyclist stops at red light while traveling N on Craycroft, but then rides over to the crosswalk to cross on the red light? Was cyclist confused, medically ill?
2. two driving lanes slow and able to avoid him, so he was visible and in the road for quite some time. Nitro is tall SUV with good line of sight, unless vehicles in the other two lanes are large vans/buses obstructing view
3. bicycle in kgun9 photo located on 22nd street in the west bound left turn lane – so if was hit in the northbound cross walk, flew 80 feet (25m) from site of impact
4. bicycle damage is to the saddle, seatpost and rear wheel, indicating bicyclist was hit in its left rear by the driver front side of the Nitro, so how did it “just appear” in front the vehicle?
5. given the above, whether he was or was not wearing a helmet is truly irrelevant and feels like additional victim blaming.
This collision may have been prevented by:
1. better driver education (Nitro driver did not notice, or noticed but did not react in time to the other two lanes of traffic slowing, Nitro driver may have been distracted/not paying attention
2. safer road design. Stroads like this are fatal by design to people outside cars.
At least they did not call it an accident.