Bicyclist suffers major injuries after he was struck by a truck in Merced

A man on a bicycle suffered major head injuries Thursday in Merced after he was run over by a pickup truck, police and witnesses said.

At about 3 p.m. Thursday, a 52-year-old man riding a bicycle traveled east across the right southbound lane of G Street, north of Park Avenue, Merced Police Capt. Bimley West said.

But the man then turned the bicycle back into the right lane of the road where a white a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck traveling in the right lane struck him and ran over him, West said.

The man, whose identity West said was being determined Thursday afternoon, was lying in the right lane next to the rear right wheel with severe head injuries when Riggs medics arrived on scene and applied first aid.

The man was transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center with major but not life-threatening injuries, West said.

The driver of the Toyota stayed at the scene and was visibly shaken after the collision. The driver’s name was not immediately available.

Merced resident Keith Zarati said he was driving three to four car lengths behind the white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck when the collision occurred.

“(The driver) didn’t even see (the bicyclist),” Zarati said. “A lot of people stopped and called 911.”

West said investigators believe the driver of the truck was not intoxicated and was following the rules of the road during the incident.

“It appears the man on the bicycle was not using good judgment,” West said, adding the incident was under investigation Thursday.

This story was originally published July 12, 2018 at 4:56 PM.