Eau Claire cyclist killed on bike path

A 51-year-old bicyclist riding on a bike path in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was struck by motor vehicle and killed at 12:30 p.m. on June 29.

"The victim was riding his bicycle westbound on the Clairemont Avenue bike path near Hendrickson Drive," the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reported. "Then, for reasons Eau Claire police are still trying to figure out, a 90-year-old man - who was also westbound on Clairemont Avenue - drove his vehicle up onto the bike path and struck the bicyclist from behind."

The car then dragged the bicycle about 200 feet down the bike path, police said.

Alcohol was ruled out as a factor in the crash, but police weren't sure if the driver fell asleep, had a medical issue or was confused.

In writing about the fatal collision, Leader-Telegram reporter Dan Holz described himself as an "avid bicyclist" who always wears a helmet and prefers to ride area trails rather than roads. He called the incident "unnerving."

"No bicyclist would dream of such a horrible scenario as a motor vehicle coming up from behind on a pedestrian or bike trail," he wrote. "(The) incident shows that bicyclists, even if they're in the relative safety net of a bike trail, must always be aware of their surroundings."