Cyclist is the latest in spate of Hamilton traffic deaths this year

A 52-year-old cyclist was killed in an early-morning collision on a Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway overpass Tuesday, bringing the total number of people killed in Hamilton crashes this year to 14.

The latest death comes amid a growing call to make streets safer in Hamilton, particularly for vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists. Of the 14 deaths this year, 11 pedestrians have been killed, including two workplace deaths, along with two drivers and now a cyclist.

In addition to fatal crashes, there have been a number of serious and life-altering crashes, including a four-year-old boy struck Monday evening, about 12 hours before the fatal cyclist collision.

The latest fatal crash happened around 5:30 a.m. July 5 on Upper Wentworth Street, on the bridge above the Linc, said Hamilton police Const. Indy Bharaj. The caller - a passenger in a 2017 Dodge Caravan - told police they were just in a collision involving a cyclist. Police said both the cyclist and the minivan were heading north when the crash happened.

When police and paramedics arrived on scene they found the cyclist in the middle of the road without vital signs, Bharaj said. Life-saving measures were attempted on scene before he was transported to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police have identified the cyclist as a 52-year-old Hamilton man. His name has not been released.

Photos from the scene showed a grey Dodge Caravan with a crumpled hood and shattered windshield. No charges have been laid and the investigation is ongoing.

Upper Wentworth was closed in the area for several hours, but reopened by late Tuesday morning.

The Hamilton police collision reconstruction unit, which investigates the most serious crashes, is investigating. CRU is also investigating after a four-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck in the intersection of Sherman Avenue North and Clinton Street around 5:30 p.m. July 4.

Hamilton police said a man driving the pickup was northbound on Sherman, turning right onto Clinton, when the small child darted from the sidewalk and was struck. Hamilton paramedics transported the four-year-old to hospital in critical condition. By Tuesday, police said he was in non-life-threatening condition, and remains in hospital.

Detectives have ruled out speed and impairment as factors in the Sherman and Clinton crash.

The crashes come amid a surge in pedestrians killed in Hamilton in recent years. There were 16 traffic deaths in 2021 - including nine pedestrian deaths, the most in a decade. That trend continued this year with 14 traffic deaths in less than seven months.

According to the city's data, the last cyclist fatality was in 2018. However, a 47-year-old man died while riding his bike on a provincially managed section of Eastport Drive in March 2021. City of Hamilton collision data does not reflect that cycling death because it's not in their jurisdiction; the death is tracked by Ontario's Ministry of Transportation instead.

Several other crashes where the investigation determines the person died from a medical episode - and not from the impact of the collision - also do not count toward Hamilton crash statistics.

David Shellnutt, a lawyer who specializes in representing injured cyclists, said he is deeply saddened to learn of the cyclist killed Tuesday - a day before the City of Hamilton's long-anticipated complete streets design manual goes to city council.

While details of the crash remain limited, Shellnutt noted there are no safe spaces for cyclists crossing over the Linc in that area, with the closest painted bike lane on West 5th Street.

Cycling and other vulnerable road users deserve to be safe in their transportation, exercise, and errands," he said, adding that city council needs to radically alter the transportation landscape in Hamilton.

Driver behaviour is near impossible to curb, he said, adding that it's time to use infrastructure and laws to make streets safer.

The city's complete streets manual is meant to guide road construction in the city to prioritize road safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. It could mean adding more cycling lanes, widening sidewalks or converting one-way streets to two-way traffic.

Police have said there is no consistent pattern to crashes or reason behind the recent spike in pedestrian deaths. Each case is investigated independently. However, factors including speeding, distracted, aggressive and impaired driving are common.

Anyone with information about the latest crashes is asked to contact police. The collision reconstruction unit can be reached at 905-546-4753 or 905-546-4755.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com