Renewed calls for safety after cyclist killed in Cambridge
Bicycle safety advocates are calling on the city of Cambridge and the state to make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians after a man was killed by a truck driver while biking near the Museum of Science yesterday morning.
The bicyclist, Meng Jin, a 24-year-old Boston University grad student from Shanghai, was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after he was struck by a dump truck at the intersection of Museum Way and Monsignor O’Brien Highway yesterday at about 8:12 a.m., according to the Massachusetts State Police.
The 2016 Western Star truck was driven by a 50-yearold Leicester man, MSP said.
According to police, the truck was stopped and waiting to make a right turn onto Museum Way from O’Brien Highway. The cyclist was on the right side of the truck, waiting for the same turn, but when both began to make the turn, the bicyclist was hit by a tire of the truck.
The fatal accident renewed concern from safety advocates about how roads in the Greater Boston area are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.
“Making drivers more aware and more cautious is the No. 1 thing we can do. Just being aware that you’re not alone out there in the world,” said Galen Mook, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. “It’s a sad story. It’s a very busy spot. It is a congested area.”
Since 2015, at least 10 people have been struck and killed while biking or walking in Cambridge, including four people killed this year, according to Cambridge Bicycle Safety. The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition says in Boston and Cambridge, in the last seven years, 11 of the 17 crashes where cyclists were killed involved large trucks.
“We cannot imagine the pain and grief that the victim’s family will be dealing with soon and for the rest of their lives. Our hearts go out to them,” Cambridge Bicycle Safety said in a statement. “The City of Cambridge has a bicycle plan which calls for safe, protected bicycle facilities on O’Brien Highway as part of a citywide network of 20 miles of protected bike lanes. Yet, at the current pace of implementation, it will be over 30 years before this network is complete.
“We call on the City of Cambridge to commit to completing its planned network of safe, protected bike lanes within 5 years, starting immediately,” Cambridge Bicycle Safety added.
“There are plans to improve this stretch of roadway,” Mook said. “The sidewalks are inadequate. The bicycle lanes are inadequate. We really need to make sure this connection by the Charles River is safe for vulnerable users.”
BU said Meng arrived in September to begin graduate studies in economics. The name of the truck driver will not be released until the investigation determines if charges will be filed, police said.