Cyclist killed in collision with truck in Rosemont

A cyclist has died after a collision with a dump truck in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie neighbourhood.

The collision occurred around 7:30 a.m. Monday near the intersection of St-Zotique Street and 19th Avenue, according to Const. Benoit Boisselle.

Witnesses told police that both the cyclist and the truck were heading eastbound on St-Zotique. The cyclist was hit while cycling on a bike path on the south side of the intersection.

The truck was to the left of the cyclist, and it turned right as the cyclist was crossing 19th Avenue. 

The cyclist, a 30-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck driver, a 51-year-old man, was taken to hospital to be treated for shock.

Police say it's too early to know if and what charges will be laid against the driver. 

Const. Manuel Couture, a Montreal police spokesperson, said speed was not a factor in the collision.

There is a four-way stop at the intersection, but it is relatively new. Before this spring, there was only one stop sign at 19th Avenue, which is one-way southbound.

Area resident Danny Bergeron said road work in the neighbourhood has created congestion on the roads. He said he has also noticed an increase in truck traffic recently.

"There's going to be more accidents with that construction, but I don't know what more they can do. People just have to be careful," he said.

St-Zotique was closed between 18th and 20th avenues as police investigated the incident. It has since been reopened.

Cyclists, former truck dispatcher weigh in

Martine Pratt lives in the area and she said she cycles on the bike path regularly. 

She said she avoids trucks and will wait until they pass before riding on because she's afraid of getting hurt. 

"A truck that's turning doesn't see cyclists as they pass," she said. "It can result in fatal injuries like this one."

After the 2014 death of a cyclist, Mathilde Blais, who was hit by a truck while cycling under the Des Carrières viaduct on St-Denis Street, coroner Paul Dionne recommended that Transport Canada make side guards a requirement on trucks.

Dionne said one of these rails could have saved Blais' life. 

The same recommendation was made in 2016 when cyclist Salim Aoudia was struck and killed by a transport truck in Griffintown. 

For Noah Handa-Kipphoff, a bike courier who often rides on St-Zotique, the neighbourhood is one of the better places to cycle in the city thanks to its well-paved roads and bike lanes going in both directions.

"The construction's always a problem … but overall I think this is one of the better spots to cycle in," Handa-Kipphoff said.

He said he usually keeps his distance from trucks on the road, making sure to slow down and let the truck go first.

It would be useful to put in place a law that requires trucks to have dash cams, he said.

Denis Hancock lives in the area and was a truck dispatcher for 17 years. He says that truck drivers have limited visibility, and cyclists should never try to go around the vehicles.

"Even if they have 30 mirrors, there are certain spots they can't see," Hancock said.