The cyclist struck Monday by an SUV on Memorial Drive in Cambridge has died.
The cyclist, identified as John Corcoran, 62, of Newton (state police initially gave the name as “John Cochran” in an email), was killed at approximately 5:42 p.m. while on a bike riding west toward the Boston University Bridge on the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path, state police said. A black Mercedes SUV swerved and jumped the curb, striking the cyclist, according to reports.
An eyewitness said the cyclist was struck “head-on” by the car. Footage from WCVB news shows a black SUV with damage to the front bumper, hood and windshield sitting in front of the BU DeWolfe Boathouse.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that a man in his 20s lost control of his vehicle,” which led to the collision, Massachusetts State Police Trooper James D. DeAngelis said.
Authorities initially described the crash and injuries sustained by the cyclist as “severe,” but Massachusetts State Police confirmed Tuesday that he died from his injuries. In identifying Cochran, state police expressed their condolences to his family.
This is the second recent collision between a motorist and bicyclist on Memorial Drive, and the third fatal collision in Cambridge this year.
The collision is under investigation by the Middlesex State Police Detective Unit. No charges have been filed at this time, police said.
This post was updated Sept. 24 to remove some details.
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@pmade: Your bias is evident. The facts are: the driver lost control, jumped the curb, and hit the cyclist, who was not at fault.
It’s noteworthy that you assumed cyclist error, when studies show drivers violate traffic rules more frequently than cyclists.
@pmadey Your prayers out to his family after you falsely blamed him for his own death???
@pmadey. This is exactly what I mean. A driver kills a cyclist, and you immediately blame the victim without knowing the facts. The driver was at fault, not the cyclist!
Your concern about cyclists hitting seniors is also misguided. In Massachusetts, an average of 100 pedestrians are killed each year, almost all by cars or trucks—none by bikes.
Maybe it’s time to get the facts straight and understand what’s really happening.
@Frank D
You said,
“@concerned43. No one mentioned banning cars. This is about improving safety and providing alternatives to driving.”
Can’t you read? Here is what your buddy Slaw said. Please, next time before you criticize, which you seem to do with whomever disagrees with you, learn to read more closely, so that you don’t make foolish statements.
Here is what Slaw said:
“There is no simple solution but there are many small overlapping and mutually reinforcing solutions. Part of that probably should include banning most cars from parts of the city, as great cities around the world have done…”
Then you said”
“@concerned43 “Dumb” is an (sic) non-expert armchair quarterback thinking that they have better answers than professionals. ”
When a cyclist is hurt or killed on Mt. Auburn at the intersection with Aberdeen, come back here (or course you won’t), and tell everyone once again, how professional the design people were in constructing the mess at this intersection.
One other thing. There are 300, 400 cars, and sometimes more, for every bike coming from Watertown (that’s right Slaw, whether you believe it or not) when it approaches Star Market. However, most of those few bikes can’t be bothered to wait for the light, where Belmont Street intersects with Mt. Auburn, cross and ride in the separated bike lanes on the North side of the street. Instead, they either ride in the street on the South side, or ride on the sidewalk parallel to Mount Auburn Cemetery. Why is it so much trouble for these cyclists to use the bike lanes? Because those that ride on the sidewalk don’t give a damn that there are people walking there. That’s right, they simply don’t care.
Now, go to it Frank.
@concerned43 You should read more carefully. Many cities designate certain streets as pedestrian avenues, but that doesn’t mean they’ve banned cars entirely.
The changes on Aberdeen Ave will reduce accidents and make the street safer. It’s common sense: separating pedestrians from 5,000-pound vehicles and shortening crossing distances increases safety for pedestrians.
We don’t even need common sense, though—facts and evidence support it. The same design planned for Aberdeen has reduced accidents elsewhere. It’s a proven approach, backed by data. Your opinion is just your opinion.
In Cambridge, bike lanes have cut accidents by 50%. You might not want to admit that, but it’s a fact.
Your claim of 300-400 cars for every bike? That’s a made-up number. Show the evidence. Just thinking something doesn’t make it true.
Regarding cyclist behavior, maybe you should be more concerned about drivers. Research shows drivers break the rules more often. And the result? Cars kill 7,000-8,000 pedestrians annually in the U.S., while bikes kill almost none.
Yet, you’re focused on cyclists? They’re not the ones killing people.
@concerned43. We are having this conversation because three cyclists have been killed by cars or trucks in recent weeks.
Your response is to complain that cyclists are the threat?!
Wow. Just wow. What is wrong with you, dude?
@MrNice.
It looks as of you and FrankD were in the same English class in the Cambridge Public Schools (four generations with 50% of the students who can’t read at grade level… but what the heck, let’s just keep spending about 35,000 dollars a student).
I didn’t blame the cyclists. Cars are a huge problem. Cyclists are a problem as well. When I walk on the south side sidewalk on Mt. Auburn, parallel to the cemetery, I don’t want to get hurt because a bike is coming at me from behind. There is a bike lane just across the street. Use it.
Sidewalks are for walking, not for cyclists.
FrankD. I’m concerned about both cars and cyclists. In the Army during the time of the Vietnam War, we used to have a special epithet for people like you i.e. constantly demeaning others but never ever admitting they were wrong (the people who run this site probably wouldn’t let me use the phrase).
I didn’t focus on Aberdeen with the changes that will reduce accidents and make the street safer. Again, read more carefully. The changes on Aberdeen, hopefully will do those two things.
I focussed on the intersection of Aberdeen and Mt. Auburn. Spend five minutes looking at the proposal. It’s all there on the city’s web site.
I think this is recipe for more cyclists getting hurt or killed. Perhaps you don’t agree. But, if it should happen, remember what I have written. Just as the Memorial Drive accident could have been prevented, so can a possible accident at Mt. Auburn and Aberdeen. It will be too late to place blame should it occur. You, and your fellow vocal friends… get your heads out of the sand before it’s too late.
Can we please turn off comments on articles about people who have been killed? Like, killed in any way? People just can’t seem to help themselves being callous and, frankly, shameful when the family of the person killed can read it. I’m sure there are plenty of places on Reddit where you can have these “conversations.” And these comments? They’re tedious. It’s always the same crap. If it’s someone on a bike who died they just trot out the same “bicyclists need to follow the rules” rhetoric even when a biker was doing everything right when they were killed. In this case the man was on the freaking sidewalk, and the driver jumped the curb. What on earth was this man *supposed* to have been doing? So just stop. Or, again, go to Reddit and have a gross time being nasty there. Spare the grieving family your tired anti-bike BS.
Frankly the amount of victim blaming on Cambridge Day is significantly higher than I saw in the reddit threads and there is less moderation of it here as well.
This victim-blaming is shameful. As if drivers are well-behaved and rule-following.
I just a big SUV speed through a red light in Inman Sq. I wish I could say that was rare.
Some drivers seem to have an attitude of “I do what I want. If I hit you, it’s your fault”
Update: not 5 minutes later, I saw another driver speed through another red light.
Both times, the light wasn’t yellow. It was red and the Walk sign was already on. The drivers were NOT turning on red (which is illegal). They flew straight through the red light at full speed.
Yet, somehow, when a cyclist is hit by car it’s “the cyclist must be at fault”