Bicyclist Killed By Semi Truck In Chicago: Man Hit While Avoiding Open Door Of Parked Car

A 32-year-old man was fatally struck while riding his bicycle Friday morning on Chicago's Near North Side.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the bicyclist was riding southbound in the bike lane just north of Oak Street on Wells Street in front of Walter Payton High School just before 9 a.m. when he reportedly swerved to avoid the open door of a parked car.

Late Friday afternoon, the Medical Examiner's Office identified the bicyclist as Neill Townsend, the Tribune reports.

When he veered out of the bike lane, a semi truck struck him, according to NBC Chicago. The bicyclist was pinned the semi's wheels.

The bicyclist was pronounced dead on the scene, CBS Chicago reports.

Area residents say the stretch of Wells is a popular choice for bicyclists commuting to the Loop and that accidents are not uncommon.

"I am not surprised. It is very scary. It is hard to even walk on the street safely," one female resident told ABC Chicago.

The man whose car door was open into traffic has been cited while an investigation into the crash continues, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The city of Chicago has prioritized expanding the number of protected bike lanes available for drivers on two wheels, but the lanes' expansion citywide has been a relatively slow process. As of Oct. 3, the city has installed seven miles of protected bike lanes and nearly nine miles of buffered lanes toward Mayor Rahm Emanuel's goal of Chicago becoming "the best big city for bicycling in the United States."