Atherton Police release statement about traffic collision that killed M-A coach
Here is the statement from the Atherton Police Department:
“On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at approximately 7:40 am, officers from the Atherton Police Department responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a bicyclist near the intersection of Middlefield Road and Prior Lane in Atherton.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the vehicle was traveling southbound on Middlefield Road and began to turn right onto Prior Lane when it was involved in a collision with a bicyclist who was also traveling southbound in the designated bicycle lane. Emergency medical personnel transported the bicyclist to a nearby hospital, where he was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later.
“The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. At this time, there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the collision.”
The Atherton Police did not name the victim, Dylan Taylor, but it has been widely reported in the media. Read M-A principal Karl Losekoot’s statement to the community here.
Bob Jones May 08, 2025 at 11:47 am
Dylan Taylor was a sweet, kind, generous, and loyal friend to both my boys from his birth. I am crushed to think of this world without him in it.
Brielle Johnck May 08, 2025 at 11:56 am
Ahh, the right hand hook. maybe motorist driving too fast and either not seeing the cyclist or not understanding the cyclist was traveling between 12 and 18 mph.
And now this fellow traveling in the bike lane is dead.
Drivers, our rush to get to our destination is not worth the life of another human being
Mark May 09, 2025 at 7:23 am
Well said
Carmen Caricchio May 08, 2025 at 10:21 pm
Atherton PD – Please update with correct information. This was not just any vehicle. It was a Recology garbage tank that pulled into the bicycle lane, causing this fatality. The public has the right to know.
Brooke May 09, 2025 at 10:52 pm
It was not a Recology vehicle. It was a Green Waste vehicle.
Harry Lichtbach May 08, 2025 at 10:44 pm
These right hook crashes could be reduced if we moved the cyclist away from the curb, into the middle of the through-lane (straight ahead) causing vehicles and bicycles to get in a line. Vehicles are suppose to make right turns from as far right as practical, inline with the bicycles, but we condition vehicle drivers to “stay out of the bike lane”. Vehicles cannot turn as close to the right edge as a bicycle, depending on their length they may not be able to make the turn from behind that right edge hugging cyclist. We need to get the drivers of bicycles and vehicles to Merge into a line, instead of forcing them to cross paths. This would not necessarily eliminate right hooks but it would reduce the number AND give the bicycle driver more room for an emergency maneuver. Instead we build infrastructure that makes it difficult or even impossible to merge into a single line.
It should also reduce the number of pull-out and left-cross crashes.
Abel R. May 09, 2025 at 6:58 pm
Unless Dylan suddenly came out of a bush, it is near impossible that the driver did not see him. It is a long patch of road where cyclists can be seen. There are also huge green blocks painted on the road that were obviously ignored.
I disagree with the “middle of the through-lane” theory, especially in this case where there is no room for such a design. It is a two-lane tree-lined road, with already minimal space for the bicycle/emergency lane. While drivers are taught to hug the curb when turning right and stay out of the bike lane, there is no reason why a driver cannot simply stop in its lane with its turn signal on and wait, along with everyone behind them. Waiting is not difficult.
Drivers are simply becoming increasingly aggressive and/or aloof. From what I have observed, the driving style of every garbage truck driver I have seen is aggressive. Commercial driver’s license holders especially should know better and be more aware that they are driving a 5+ ton machine.
If this driver was on-the-job (Recology) then they likely should also be investigating if the driver was unrested and overworked. Which would be a plausible cause of this accident due to the ongoing employee exploitation experience driven by greed in our current society.
M T May 19, 2025 at 6:52 pm
This preliminary report is missing many important facts that would be required before passing judgement as to who or what is at fault.
The report does not say which vehicle ran into the other. It does not say where (on the truck) the bicycle and truck collided (front fender, passenger door, rear fender, etc.). It does not say whether the truck was traveling in the bicycle lane or crossing it. It does not say where the bicycle was relative to the truck when it started its turn.
Potentially, the bicyclist was in front of the truck and was simply run over, or beside the truck and was unable to brake and forced off the road, or was behind the truck and failed to realize the truck was turning and ran into it either at the door or the rear bumper. It does say the truck began to turn right (rather than, perhaps, “it was moving into the bike lane in order to turn right”)
There is no mention as to whether the truck had turn blinkers on. Nor does it say whether either the driver or bicyclist was distracted.
The report does not say whether excessive speed was involved. Since the truck was turning, I expect it was well under the speed limit. The report doesn’t indicate the speed of the bicycle. (While one traffic accident death is one too many, it seems odd that this accident is being tied to an attempt to reduce the speed limits for vehicles in Atherton.)
It appears the edge of the pavement and the ground next to the road are level which should allow a bicyclist the opportunity to swerve off the pavement should he get forced off the road.
I do hope this tragedy results in both bicyclists and drivers being more alert and careful when driving in traffic. I wish for peace for all those affected by this tragic death.
Harry Lichtbach June 25, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Well put.