A 68-year-old cyclist has died after a collision with a parked trailer in Whitby, according to Durham Regional Police.
The Whitby cyclist collision happened on Friday, Aug. 21, at about 12:30 p.m. near Coronation Road and Lyndebrook Road. Police said the man was travelling northbound on Coronation Road when his bicycle struck a parked trailer.
Emergency crews responded and found the cyclist suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a Toronto-area trauma centre, where he later died.
Collision investigators examine Whitby scene
Members of the Durham Regional Police Collision Investigation Unit attended the scene and began examining the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Coronation Road was closed in the area for several hours while investigators collected evidence. Police have not released the cyclist’s identity and have not said what may have caused him to collide with the trailer.
The cause of the Whitby cyclist collision remains under investigation.
Police have also not announced any charges or suggested that another moving vehicle was involved. Investigators are asking witnesses and anyone who may have recorded the area around the time of the crash to come forward.
Police seek dashcam and surveillance footage
Durham Regional Police are specifically asking for cellphone video, dashcam recordings and surveillance footage that may help investigators determine what happened before the collision.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Lan of the Collision Investigation Unit at 1-888-579-1520, extension 5216.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Durham Regional Crime Stoppers.
Video evidence can be particularly important in serious collision investigations because it may help police establish the cyclist’s movements, road conditions, visibility and other circumstances immediately before impact.
Police have not provided further details about the parked trailer, including how long it had been at the location or whether investigators believe its position contributed to the collision.
Fatal crash follows initial critical-injury response
The incident was first reported on Aug. 21 as a serious collision in Whitby. At that time, emergency officials confirmed that a cyclist had been transported to a Toronto trauma centre with life-threatening injuries.
Police later announced on Aug. 24 that the 68-year-old man had died from those injuries.
The updated information turned what had initially been a critical-injury investigation into a fatal collision investigation.
The section of Coronation Road involved in the investigation was closed while police worked at the scene, but the closure was temporary and lasted several hours.
Investigation continues
No further information about the cyclist has been released publicly.
The Whitby cyclist collision remains under investigation, and police are continuing to seek information from anyone who was in the Coronation Road and Lyndebrook Road area around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 21.
Residents or motorists who travelled through the area around that time may want to review saved dashcam footage before it is automatically overwritten.
Police are asking anyone with potentially relevant information, even if they did not directly witness the impact, to contact investigators.
The death adds another serious road-safety investigation for Durham Regional Police, with the Collision Investigation Unit responsible for gathering evidence and determining the sequence of events.
Until that work is complete, the exact circumstances that led to the cyclist striking the parked trailer remain unknown.
