A Burnaby man is dead following a collision with a vehicle near Brentwood Town Centre Tuesday afternoon.
Burnaby Mounties were called to the scene at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday when a vehicle struck a cyclist at Beta Avenue near the east entrance to Brentwood Town Centre. The victim, a 62-year-old Burnaby man, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to RCMP.
"All indications are that the person on the bicycle failed to yield to traffic," Staff Sgt. Maj. John Buis told the NOW.
While investigators at the scene Tuesday were still trying to figure out which way the cyclist and the vehicle were traveling when they collided, further investigation determined the cyclist was attempting to cross Beta Avenue from the Brentwood mall parking lot.
"We're trying to determine if the cyclist even slowed down when they were going through the intersection. There's a stop sign on Beta and we don't know if (the cyclist) stopped or not, but indications are that the person did not stop there," Buis said.
He added there are no indications the driver of the vehicle was doing anything prior to the crash that could have caused the accident - no distracted driving and no alcohol.
"There doesn't appear to be any infractions. I mean the person was driving normally on Beta," Buis said.
Burnaby Mounties don't believe the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash as none was found at the scene.
When the Burnaby NOW arrived on scene Tuesday, there were three vehicles, one parked on the west side of Beta Avenue and two parked in the middle of the street. Police believe that at the time of the accident there was a line of traffic waiting to turn left at Beta Avenue and Lougheed Highway, which would have obstructed visibility.
"We think a combination of the cars being stopped for the red going southbound and the hill may have obstructed somebody's vision," he said.
Local resident Kevin Joudrey said the street that opens up onto Beta Avenue directly across from the Brentwood Town Centre parking lot is a dangerous intersection, adding that he himself has almost been struck several times.
"I'm a fast pedestrian. I'm always watching and I hurry," he said.
Joudrey, who lives in an apartment nearby, said residents in the area had asked the city to install a pedestrian crosswalk when the condos at Beta Avenue and Lougheed Highway were still under construction.
"The response from the engineers apparently had been they didn't want to legitimize it as a crossing," he said.
However, the "crossing" while not an official crossing is used daily by people in the area trying to get to the mall, he added.
Investigators are still processing evidence from the crash and more information is expected later this week. Officers are also notifying the victim's family and his name should be released shortly after, Buis added.
