A cyclist is dead after being struck by a dump truck in downtown Toronto on Thursday morning, police say.
It happened on Bloor Street West near Avenue Road at around 8:40 a.m.
Police say that the cyclist was travelling westbound in a bike lane and at one point exited the bike lane and continued their journey in the same direction. She was then struck by the dump truck which was also headed westbound and being operated by a 39-year-old male driver, police say.
The cyclist was pronounced dead on scene. She has been identified as a 24-year-old woman.
Police say they are still in the “very preliminary stages" of their investigation but will be examining whether a construction bin nearby might have prompted the cyclist to exit the bike lane.
“That will be part of the investigation. We are looking into to see if that factored into this,” Acting Duty Insp. Jason Bartlett told reporters at the scene.
Bartlett said that the driver of the dump truck remained at the scene and has been cooperating with the police investigation.
He said that investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the collision or the moments immediately leading up to it.
“This is obviously a very tragic incident,” he said.
The intersection where the collision happened is just a few hundred metres away from the site where another cyclist was fatally struck by a commercial truck back in April.
In a statement provided to CP24, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto offered their “deepest condolences” to the family and friends of the victim.
“We encourage anyone with more information to reach out directly to Toronto Police Service, which is investigating this incident. While it is not clear what the investigation will find, the city is reminding residents and businesses of the importance of keeping bike lanes clear of any obstacles in order to help ensure the safety of all road users,” the spokesperson said.
Bloor Street was closed in both directions from Avenue Road to Bay Street due to the police investigation but reopened at around 12:30 p.m.
