September 3, 2012

Cyclist dies after colliding with concrete truck in Edmonton

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

The Edmonton Police Service Traffic Section officers are investigating the cause of a fatal collision involving a concrete truck and a cyclist.

“A 21-year-old male cyclist was travelling westbound on Whyte Avenue between 101 Street and 102 Street when he came upon a parked vehicle with a protruding side mirror,” said an Edmonton Police press release.

“Witnesses report that the cyclist tried to duck under the mirror, but hit it and lost control of his bicycle, and fell under a cement truck that was going the same direction.”

Emergency Medical Services responded to the incident, which happened about 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 27.

The young man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The name of the victim was not released by the police, but the Edmonton Journal identified him as Isaak Kornelsen.

He was a member of the University of Alberta track and field team and a Faculty of Arts student.

The driver of the concrete truck was employed by Burnco.

According to the CBC, he had a full load of concrete and had no idea that he’d even hit the cyclist.

Some witnesses had to flag him down and tell him to stop.

As a result, the driver was in shock and got help from victim services.

Eyewitnesses said the driver was devastated by the incident and he sat on the back of the concrete truck in tears.

The police said there was nothing he could have done to prevent the incident.

However, part of the police investigation involved taking measurements on the pick up truck to make sure it was legally parked.

At the scene of the incident on Whyte Avenue, there are two lanes of traffic in each direction, plus a lane for parked cars.

Traffic officers measured the distance the pickup truck was parked from the curb and charges could be laid against the driver.

A city bylaw requires vehicles to park within 50 centimetres or 19.68 inches from the curb.

Editor’s note: The Edmonton Police Service referred to the vehicle as a cement truck, when if fact it was a truck carrying concrete, which includes cement as a component.

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