OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Residents are raising concerns about biker safety after a 33-year-old Ferndale resident riding an electric bike was killed Thursday in a crash involving an Oakland County Road Commission truck on Woodward Avenue.
The collision happened just before 1 p.m. when the truck was traveling north on Woodward and turned into the parking lot of a vacant Tim Hortons, striking the rider in the bike lane, witnesses said.
Eric Lees, co-owner of the restaurant Little Ghost, which is located across the street from the crash site, said the crash was captured on his security video.
“It was turning right into the old Tim Hortons building, and you don’t see a bike until it turned, and then there’s the bike and the person laying in the ground,” Lees said, describing the video.
Police said the rider was pronounced dead at the scene. The rider’s name was not released.
The crash renewed residents’ concerns about visibility and safety on Woodward, where bike lanes and on-street parking can make it difficult for drivers to spot cyclists, particularly at intersections.
“A big, semi-truck like that doesn’t see a little bike, it’s awful,” Lees said.
“I think people just need to watch out and take care, and it goes both ways, bikes, cars,” said Carlos Fries, a Little Ghost employee.
Woodward Avenue has two-way bike lanes, including one lane that runs against traffic.
Some residents say that configuration, combined with street parking, can create blind spots.
“You kind of think like, oh yeah, a stop sign, people will stop. No,” said Aaron Zaremski, a Ferndale resident. “Even in these protected bike lanes, you still have to look out, especially at intersections, for people not paying attention to stop signs and red lights.”
On social media, residents reacting to the crash called for changes to the corridor.
One commenter wrote that street parking along Woodward should be removed “for it to be remotely safe for bikers.”
Another said the design forces riders to weave around parked cars, “making them very hard for drivers to see.” A third described the road diet as having “a video game feel with real life consequences.”
“We were very saddened to learn of the crash involving one of our drivers and a bicyclist,” said Craig Bryson, senior communications manager for the Road Commission for Oakland County, in a statement to Local 4. “Our hearts go out to both the family of the cyclist and to our driver.”
The incident is being investigated by the Oakland County Road Commission and the Ferndale Police Department.