The B.C. Coroners Service is sending its report on the March 2016 death of cyclist Eileen Glynda Evans to the City of Victoria’s engineering and public works department.
On the morning of March 29, 2016, Evans, 73, was cycling south on Government Street. She stopped at a red light at the intersection of Government and Fisgard streets.
When the light turned green, a five-tonne commercial truck made a right hand turn onto Fisgard, directly across her path.
They collided and Evans, who was wearing a bicycle helmet and yellow jacket with reflective strips, fell to the ground. The rear wheels of the truck ran over her.
Coroner Carolyn Maxwell ruled Evan’s death accidental and found that she died of multiple traumatic injuries.
A police collision reconstruction of the accident found the road was in good repair, dry and free of debris.
The sun was not a factor and the truck driver’s sightlines were good. However, the reconstruction found a potential blind spot on the truck near the opening for the passenger door.
“A cyclist or pedestrian in this spot would not be seen by the driver in either the mirrors or through a shoulder check. … It is possible that Ms. Evans entered the driver’s blind spot as she approached the intersection and therefore was not seen when the turn was initiated,” Maxwell concluded.
The police reconstructionist found inconsistencies in the way traffic signs and markings for bicycles lanes are used throughout the City of Victoria.
However, Maxwell noted that both Evans and the truck driver travelled this section of road frequently and were probably not distracted or confused by the signs.
Maxwell encouraged the City of Victoria to obtain a copy of the Victoria Police Department’s collision analyst report of the accident to inform future roadway design.
