LONG BEACH (CNS) - A bicyclist suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a vehicle this morning in Long Beach. Police officers said they were sent about 6:35 a.m. to investigate the traffic collision near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and East Seventh Street, where they found the victim in the bed of a pick-up truck that had apparently hit him. The truck was stopped in the eastbound lanes of East Seventh Street at Alamitos Avenue.
Fire department paramedics took the man to a hospital where he later succumbed to his traumatic injuries, LBPD officers said. The name of the 35-year-old Long Beach resident was withheld pending family notifications. An LBPD report stated that the bicyclist was traveling against traffic when he was struck.
``The investigation revealed the bicyclist was riding west on the south sidewalk along East Seventh Street,'' according to the report. ``As he neared the crosswalk for East Seventh Street, on the west side of the intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, the bicyclist quickly entered the eastbound lanes of East Seventh Street while traveling west.''The bicyclist was then struck by an eastbound 2004 Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 41-year-old Long Beach man, police said.
The driver immediately stopped and rendered aid to the victim, performing CPR on him in the bed of his pick-up while witnesses called 911, according to the LBPD. There was no evidence of impairment and the driver had a valid driver's license and proof of insurance, police said.
Anyone with information about the collision was urged to call Detective Steve Fox of the LBPD's Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org.