Thursday, August 13, 2009
Police: Bicyclist lost control in fatal crash on Virginia Tech campus
Police have determined that the driver of a dump truck that collided with a bicyclist on Virginia Tech's campus last month was not at fault.
The bicyclist, 61-year-old Bonnie Tinker of Portland, Ore., died at the scene of the crash that happened about 4:30 p.m. July 2 on West Campus Drive.
According to Tech police Chief Wendell Flinchum, based on evidence and witness statements, the bike and the truck were both headed north on West Campus Drive. The truck was in the correct driving lane, and the bike was next to it in a bike lane. The bike began to wobble and "became entangled" in the truck's rear wheels before the truck made a right turn onto Drillfield Drive.
The driver of the truck, Paul Bandy, was unaware of the incident until a bystander flagged him down. He stopped immediately, Flinchum said.
The Montgomery County prosecutor will not charge Bandy in connection with the crash, Flinchum said.
Tinker was on campus with the Religious Society of Friends, who were using university facilities for a Friends General Conference.




