There are all kinds of ways to approach your morning commute into Chicago. Some live in the city and have the luxury of walking. Many take the train or their own vehicle or car-pool into the city. Still yet, some bike, especially when the temperatures are fair in the summer and fall months.
Each person has a right to be on the road, cyclists and motor vehicles alike. However, in a crowded, congested area like Chicago, it can be especially hazardous for bicyclists. Sadly, one bicyclist, a 39-year-old mother of two, was tragically struck by a right-turning dump truck and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at a nearby hospital. There has been much in the news lately about run-ins with trucks in Cook County, both cyclists and pedestrians alike.
The crash is still under investigation, but the truck driver was cited at the scene for striking a pedestrian in the roadway. There has been an attempt by legislators to protect cyclists from going under the wheels of trucks when hit, and although the city passed an ordinance requiring certain class of trucks to put protective siding on their vehicle to prevent such things, this particular dump truck did not have the protective shielding on the side of the truck. While the company who owned the truck was not responsible per the city for retro-fitting such equipment, it could potentially have saved a life had it been in use.
This isn’t the first cyclist to be struck and killed in a truck accident this year. Hopefully it will be the last. Charges are likely pending in a fatal accident that feels so preventative. The truck taking the right-hand turn, struck a biker who was in the roadway and it caused her death. A helmet and sunglasses were visible at the scene under the truck. The woman was an avid athlete and triathlete.
