Bicyclist killed in Pittsburgh car accident

Car accidents that solely involve other motor vehicles can be tragic enough. But, an accident involving a bicyclist can result in even more serious consequences. One woman was killed recently when her bike was struck by a vehicle near the University of Pittsburgh campus. The woman was an assistant director at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Russian and East European Studies.

The accident investigation revealed that the woman was behind a vehicle at a red light in a left turning lane on one of the busiest streets on campus. A vehicle attempted to cross over into the turning lane but ended up crashing into the vehicle behind the woman. That vehicle then struck the woman’s bicycle, which pushed it into the car in front of it. The bicycle was knocked over and was stuck between the two vehicles.

The man driving the vehicle that caused the initial collision was taken to the hospital after the accident, along with the woman. The woman later passed away at the hospital. An autopsy will be conducted by the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office.

When someone gets injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident, there are many options available to the victims and their families. Injured victims may file a lawsuit to hold negligent drivers and other parties liable for the damages caused in the accident. Families of victims who are killed may file a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible for the crash. In any case, the hope is that victims and their families will be able to recover in some way from their heartbreaking loss and find a way to carry on.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Woman killed in bicycle-car accident in Oakland,” Madasyn Czebiniak, Oct. 23, 2015