MILLCREEK, Utah –Police have identified a man who was hit by a car while he was riding a bicycle and suffered fatal injuries in the Millcreek area early Saturday morning.
Kevin Bushman, 51, was riding his bike on 3300 South at about 1602 East when a motorist, a 39-year-old man, struck him from behind at about 1 a.m.
Ken Hansen, Unified Police Department said the vehicle that hit the man was traveling in the same direction but didn’t see the cyclist due to a lack of lighting.
“The bicyclist was in the roadway, and apparently the lights on the bike weren’t functioning, so the motorist didn’t see the bicyclist,” Hansen said. “The bicyclist died at the scene.”
Bushman went up onto the vehicle, police say.
“He was hit by the car, went up on to the car and went off to the side of the car,” Hansen said.
Hansen said witnesses report Bushman lived in the area and rode his bike in the area “all of the time.” The man was not wearing a helmet, and Hansen said the lack of lights increases the danger when cycling, especially in areas such as this were the street lighting isn’t very bright.
“So without a light on the bicycle, without a lot of street light, and with the bicyclist in, you know, out on the road without lights–it’s easy to see how this could happen,” Hansen said.
Hansen said the driver of the car said he couldn’t see the cyclist. At this point no arrests have been made but Hansen said because this is a fatal accident they are investigating as well as taking samples from the driver to test sobriety, which is a standard procedure. Hansen said the driver was traveling within the speed limit for the area when the crash occurred.