We won't know for sure what happened until the police release the report. I was visualizing the truck turning behind her and the trailer swinging wide, as they do. You'd think the driver would have noticed blood and bits of bike & rider stuck to the truck.
Originally Posted by
UniChris
Such things could happen there, but the witness report strongly suggests that's not what happened this time, but that the collision was with the side of the truck.
Typically such has the cyclist's own speed as the cause of ultimate closure. Though there is also the case where a cyclist or pedestrian realizes they are moving into the inside of a turn and stops, but doesn't anticipate the sideways movement of a truck trailer in a turn. A cyclist or older pedestrian may be less able to retreat back from that subtle danger than someone spry on their feet.
It also makes intended usage of the crosswalk look quite visible if it is entered at pedestrian speeds such that volnerable users are in driver's forward vision rather than to the side or overtaking from the rear and side.
IMHO the problem is that this intersection works for walking, or for through vehicular traffic in the lane correct for such intention.
But it does not really work for cycling as a vehicular type of movement which would take place in a fundamentally wrong position relative to the turn lane.
I'd either relocate the crossing to be its own light at the midpoint of the loop road, or give traffic savy cyclists an earlier opportunity to merge off the trail into an appropriate through lane position, and then really drive home with signage that the trail crossing is intended for pedestrian equivalent movement only.