Teen Bicyclist Killed in Crash with Flatbed Truck on 22nd St in Tucson, AZ
Tucson, AZ — July 26, 2022, a 17-year-old on a bicycle died in a crash with a flatbed commercial truck on East 22nd Street in Tucson.
According to reports the incident happened shortly before 8:30 a.m. on East 22nd near South Pantano Parkway. Preliminary investigation suggests the teenager was riding an electric-powered bicycle west in the eastbound bike lane of East 22nd when a Peterbilt flatbed truck pulled out of a driveway into his path. The two collided in the roadway.
The cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash but suffered fatal injuries. The truck driver, unhurt, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
The investigation continues but police say the victim traveling against traffic was a significant factor.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Bicycle/Truck Accident in Tucson
Police mentioned the cyclist traveling the wrong way was a big factor here. I have no reason to doubt that, but it also seems like there's a little more to the story than that.
For one thing, vehicles waiting to merge into the roadway are supposed to yield to traffic already on it. I'm sure the truck driver knew that, so what prompted him to pull into the path of an approaching vehicle? Did he not see it? If not, why not? Did he not check both ways before pulling out of the drive? Some might argue he'd only need to look one direction for approaching traffic, but would an extra two seconds to check the other way really have thrown off his whole day?
My point is just that many of these accidents are more complicated than a few sentences in the news make them sound. Some details may stand out and lead people to jump to certain conclusions, but a closer second look often shows other things played a role as well. It's always best to investigate carefully and thoroughly in search of all the facts. If there are any steps beyond that, they would depend on what those facts turn out to be.
