Mesa PD: Bicyclist struck, killed after riding through red light

April 11, 2015, morning. Cyclist 40’s/M was killed after riding into the intersection of Alma School Road and Southern Ave, Mesa on a red.

This is a right-angle collision, the motorist was SB on Alma School, and the cyclist was EB on Southern.  The two media accounts vary slightly regarding the color, or really the phase, of the signal. Both say the motorist entered on a yellow (which is, of course, legal and would give the motorist the right-of-way);  The KPHO account, additionally, said “The signal had turned red when the bicyclist entered the intersection”

There’s a possibility the cyclist entered on green (a “new” green / “fresh” green); colliding with the driver who entered on a “stale” yellow. The all-red phase, normally 1 second, is not necessarily enough time for a driver to clear though the intersection (e.g. 40mph is 59 feet per second). The without something like a red-light camera (maybe there is one, but that’s not mentioned) it’s hard to know for sure. E.g. the photo enforcement video showed conclusively the thru-driver in this 2007 crash did not run a red; as was asserted by the other driver, and as usual witnesses aren’t terribly reliable.

Cyclists (and drivers, and peds) are well-advised to check to be sure an intersection has completely cleared before proceeding.

Crash Report

ADOT incident=2960461. I supposed the database is consistent with media reports, though seems somewhat unlikely.

I was hoping the crash data would clear up where the bicyclist was; unfortunately both fields for the cyclist’s location were UNKNOWN. I don’t understand why that would be. He was either on the sidewalk/crosswalk, in the BL, or in a traffic lane. The JunctionRelation — assuming the report is filled out correctly — of INTERSECTION means he would not have been in a crosswalk (the relation then would be INTERSECTION_RELATED)

In any event: Right-angle crash at intersection; bicyclist faulted.

abc15.com MESA, AZ – A bicyclist was fatally injured in a collision with a vehicle in Mesa on Saturday morning, according to police… According to the Mesa Police Department, the a-word*** happened just before 10 a.m. at Alma School Road and Southern Avenue… Police said a BMW driven by a male I his 20s was southbound on Alma School Road approaching the intersection on a green light. The bicyclist, a man in his late 40s, was traveling eastbound on Southern Avenue… Witnesses told police that the light for the BMW turned yellow when the car entered the intersection and that the bicyclist entered the intersection on a red light when they collided… Police said there were no signs of impairment on the driver of the vehicle and at this time is not being cited or charged.

KPHO.com account varies slightly (and also avoided using the a-word***)  —

Officers said the the traffic signal at Alma School Road and Southern Avenue turned yellow as the vehicle entered the intersection… The signal had turned red when the bicyclist entered the intersection and collided with the vehicle, police said.

 

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