9:07 AM: Police have reopened a busy intersection in San Francisco’s Mission District, two hours after a bicyclist was killed in a collision with a garbage truck there.
The accident was reported at 6:45 a.m. at 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue. The bicyclist died at the scene.
According to the Chron, the driver of the garbage truck was making a right turn onto southbound South Van Ness when he collided with the rider.
At about 8:15 a.m., the body was still on South Van Ness near 16th, covered by a yellow tarp. The cyclist’s mangled white bike lay along a curb about a block away, at 17th Street.
Police said the driver of the garbage truck is cooperating with investigators, and it does not appear alcohol or drugs played a role in the collision, police said.
The truck is owned by Recology, and Recology spokesman Robert Reed was at the scene this morning. He said he could not yet comment on the accident.
In a statement sent to media at 11:50 AM Thursday, Recology said:
At approximately 6:50 a.m. this morning a Recology truck was involved in an accident with a bicyclist at 16th Street and South Van Ness.
SFPD responded and took control of the accident scene. They are conducting a thorough investigation and interviewing witnesses.
Recology staff responded immediately and we are cooperating fully with police investigators.
Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to family members of the cyclist who died in this morning’s accident.
South Van Ness Avenue, which was closed between 16th and 17th streets, reopened at about 8:45 a.m.
Photo and report from scene: Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
7:47 AM: A bicyclist was killed in a collision with a garbage truck in San Francisco’s Mission District this morning, police said.
The accident was reported at 6:45 a.m. at 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue.
According to the Chron, the driver of the Recology garbage truck was making a right turn onto southbound South Van Ness when he collided with the rider.
The bicyclist died at the scene.
The driver is cooperating with investigators, and it does not appear alcohol or drugs played a role in the collision, police said.
