Cop Kills Cyclist, 11/9/09

A San Diego police officer whose car collided with a bicyclist in University City was responding to an accident call without lights and siren, according to investigators.

The bicyclist, described as a 64-year old man, died in the accident.

The accident shut down the intersection of Genesee and Governor Monday when it happened at 7:19 a.m.

The cyclist had just left the United Oil gas station, started heading southbound in the bike lane and then rode across traffic lanes, according to investigators in the SDPD traffic division.

The cyclist rode into the cruiser's path, police said in a news release issued around noon Monday. Officers said there were several independent witnesses to the accident.

The officer was not hurt in the collision.

Southbound Genesee was closed by University City High School.

By R. STICKNEY
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Officer-Hits-Bicyclist-69565117.html


A 63-year-old man was killed today when the bicycle he was riding collided with a police car on a University City street during the morning rush hour.

Walter Freeman of San Diego pedaled out of a gas station in the 3800 block of Governor Drive shortly before 7:30 a.m., crossed the southbound side of the roadway and rode directly into the path of the cruiser, which was traveling southbound in the far-left lane, according to police and the county Medical Examiner’s Office.

Freeman died at the scene. The involved officer, who has been with the SDPD for 18 months, was uninjured.

At the time of the crash, the patrolman was en route to investigate a non-urgent traffic accident call and had not activated the cruiser’s roof lights and siren, according to police.

The squad car was traveling below the posted speed limit [according to police press release] at the time of the accident, SDPD traffic Detective Dan Wall told reporters during a mid- afternoon briefing.

By Staff, City News Service
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-11-09/local-county-news/bicyclist-killed-in-crash-with-sdpd-cruiser


More:
http://www.webcastr.com/videos/news/cop-car-hits-kills-cyclist.html (warning, police sympathizers)

Note: please post any news reports that go into detail beyond the police press release.