Another Tucson bicycle fatality –Alexander Nuñez
From the AZ Daily Star:
Tucson police identify cyclist killed Thursday
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.03.2009A man killed Thursday evening while riding his bicycle on West 22nd Street near South Sixth Avenue has been identified as 49-year-old, Alexander Nuñez, police said.
Nuñez was hit by a van in the eastbound lanes of 22nd Street at about 5 p.m., said Officer Linda Galindo, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.
According to a police, the driver of a Ford passenger van was eastbound on 22nd Street, just east of 6th Avenue. Nuñez was riding his bicycle across 22nd Street, in a northeast direction, and rode into the path of the van.
The driver of the van was unable to stop in time and struck Nuñez, police said. No citations have been issued.
Detectives are awaiting toxicology results to determine if drugs and/or alcohol were a factor in this collision. Speed does not appear to have been a factor. Nuñez was not wearing a helmet, police said.
As usual, the bicyclist “rode into the path” of the van. We hear this so often, and so often it turns out to be the vehicle that drove into the path of the cyclist. But that always comes out a lot later.
I know nothing about this case other than what is in the above article, but I notice that Mr. Nuñez was going diagonally (“northeast”) across 22nd, which may mean he was merging. Hopefully the police will do a good job analyzing this one and we will more shortly.
Thanks again Martha R. for pointing me to this article today.
–Erik Ryberg
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
We need a better justice system.
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2009-07-02/news/where-s-the-other-driver-in-the-bryant-wilkerson-not-in-jail/1
July 7th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I like how the report notes he was not wearing a helmet. Because wearing a helmet will help you survive being struck by a mini van.