A 12-year-old boy was killed in a Chicago bicycle accident Sunday night after being struck by a pickup truck on the Southwest Side, the Sun-Times reported.
The accident occurred shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the 6000 block of South Narragansett Avenue, police reported. The boy was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The boy was riding his bike south on Narragansett Avenue when a northbound Ford F-250 struck him as he entered the street in a crosswalk. The truck was making a right onto eastbound 60th Street when the collision occurred.
The 48-year-old driver of the truck was cited for failure to yield the right of way on a right turn and negligent driving, according to police.
The police Major Accident Investigation Unit is investigating.
As we reported last month on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, spring is a dangerous time for Chicago bicycle accidents as riders begin the spring and summer riding season and kids begin to spend more time playing outside.
Bicyclists have the same rights to the road as an automobile and motorists are encouraged to use extra caution when approaching a bicycle rider. In 2008, a total of 27 riders were killed in fatal Illinois bicycle accidents and more than 3,300 were seriously injured, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.