Victim 23/M Brandon Rutledge; 11/6/2014, no time specified, video indicates it was daylight. 59th Avenue & Roosevelt, Phoenix; A semi tractor (video shows no trailer) was turning right from 59th Ave (direction was not specified) on to Roosevelt. The bicyclist had been riding on the sidewalk on 59th and continued through crosswalk, though the direction is not specified. “(phoenix police) did say the bicyclist appears to have broken some traffic laws” may be incorrect, Phoenix PD tends to fault bicyclists riding in crosswalks despite it not being illegal. I have attempted repeatedly to point this out to Phoenix PD; e.g. when an 82-year-old driver left-crossed and killed an 11-year-old girl , they determined the driver had done nothing wrong.
Regarding the “safest bike rider ever” comment in the news piece — reflects a common fundamental misunderstanding of bicycle traffic safety. Sidewalk riding tends to be dangerous for the very reason that motorists aren’t expecting something moving as fast as a bicyclist on the sidewalk/crosswalk and tend to run into them.
Other notable: The only media coverage seems to have only been Fox10; i.e. didn’t appear in the AZ Republic / azcentral.
Bicyclist killed in west Phoenix crash
Posted: Nov 06, 2014 9:27 PM By Jill Monier, FOX 10 NewsCONNECT
PHOENIX (KSAZ) – A bicyclist was killed after being run over by a semi truck near 59th Avenue & Roosevelt in west Phoenix. Investigators say the bicyclist was riding along the sidewalk crossing Roosevelt and was hit by the truck which was turning onto Roosevelt… Impairment was not a factor but it’s too early to say whether the truck driver will face any charges. They did say the bicyclist appears to have broken some traffic laws…Friends remember bicyclist killed in west valley crash
Posted: Nov 07, 2014 9:26 PM By Jill Monier, FOX 10 N
…The accident is still under investigation but police say it appears Rutledge improperly entered the roadway and rode into the path of the turning truck. Investigators say at this time it’s unlikely the driver of the truck will be cited for anything…. “Safest bike rider ever, even at 2 o’clock in the morning when we were leaving there was no traffic he would still wait for the cross walk to say walk every single time,” said Schultz.