A bicyclist died at the scene of an accident on a city street on the west side of Houston recently. The driver of a pickup truck struck and killed the bicyclist. Both were traveling in the same direction on the road at the time of the accident, which happened in the pre-dawn hours.

Police who were investigating this tragic bicycle accident indicated that the driver of the pickup did not see the bicyclist. The officer did say that the area was not particularly well-lit but also said that they police noted that the bicyclist did have a flashing light affixed to his bike.

The driver of the pickup remained at the scene and cooperated the police. At this time, the police do not expect that alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash, although they did say that the official investigation would continue.

To this point, no citations have been issued against the driver of the pickup truck. However, police did say that at the time of the accident, the bicyclist had the right-of-way on the street. Police also pointed out that the bicyclist had no available sidewalk or trail that he could have used.

The victim was a man in his 50s. At the time of the accident, he was wearing his uniform for his job, suggesting that others may have been relying on him for income.

Drivers in the Houston area need to be aware of the fact that bicyclists are allowed to be on the city’s roads and often are on the city’s roads throughout the day. Many people in the Houston area may even use their bikes to commute to work, which could require travel during the early morning hours.

Here, the first indications are that this bicyclist got hit even though he had the right of way and was using a device to improve his visibility. His family may need to evaluate their legal options in the wake of this tragedy.