Bend,OR : Bend crash kills cyclist on November, Monday 20th 2017

A bicyclist was killed late Monday morning after being struck by a vehicle in northwest Bend.

The accident occurred at about 11:20 a.m. at the intersection of Olney Avenue and Wall Street, according to Lt. Clint Burleigh, a spokesman for Bend Police Department.

Officers investigated the scene for several hours, completely closing the intersection at first, then opening it partially to traffic.

The bicyclist died at the scene, according to Burleigh. The police department was still working to inform the next of kin as of Monday afternoon. Burleigh did not share any information about the cyclist or driver, saying the accident is under investigation.

The accident happened in the southeast corner of the intersection, according to Burleigh.

Without going through crash records, it’s difficult to say how many fatal crashes between vehicles and cyclists occur per year in Bend, Burleigh said.

“Fatalities do happen,” Burleigh said. “Most of the time, though, injuries are minor, or they’re not life-threatening.”

Burleigh said increased speed for a driver or cyclist is likely to make an accident more serious but did not say whether speed was an issue in this accident.

He could not confirm whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet.

According to local road crash reports the Oregon Department of Transportation has on its website, four crashes were recorded at the intersection of Olney Avenue and Wall Street from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31 2016. In three of those crashes, no one was injured: One accident included an injury that was not incapacitating. All of those crashes occurred when weather conditions were clear and the roads were dry, according to the reports.

Because Olney and Portland avenues meet at that intersection with Wall Street, there are separate crash reports for the intersection of Portland Avenue and Wall Street.

Burleigh could not say whether Monday’s rainy weather was a factor in the crash but reminded the public to be extra careful as winter conditions near.

“In general, as the weather starts turning, we have to be a little more vigilant,” Burleigh said.

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Bend crash kills cyclist