An adult male cyclist died following a collision with a vehicle that fled the area of West 22nd Street and South 11th Avenue on the evening of Dec. 27, according to a Tucson Police Department release.
On Dec. 27, shortly after 6:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to West 22
nd
Street and South 11
th
Avenue for the report of a serious-injury collision involving a bicyclist and a vehicle. Prior to their arrival, officers were notified that the involved vehicle had fled from the area. The adult male bicyclist was transported to Banner University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
After conducting interviews and evaluating roadway evidence, detectives determined that the bicyclist was riding northbound on 11
th
Avenue, across 22
nd
Street, when he was struck by the suspect vehicle that was traveling westbound on 22
nd
Street. Detectives noted that the bicyclist was wearing dark clothing, was not wearing a helmet, and did not have lighting on his bicycle at the time of the collision. Additionally, the bicyclist was in possession of narcotic paraphernalia; however, it is unknown if he had any drugs in his system at the time of the collision.
Failure to yield from a stop sign by the bicyclist, the bicyclist’s improper lighting and the suspect vehicle’s excessive speed are the main contributing factors to the collision. The driver leaving the scene of a fatal collision is the current focus of the investigation.