'Blood still on asphalt' a day after Toronto cyclist killed by dump truck

The Friends and Families for Safe Streets say more needs to be done to prevent Thursday’s cyclist fatality in which a 24-year-old woman was killed by a dump truck downtown.

“The blood stain is still visible on the asphalt,” said group spokesperson Jess Spieker, who visited the scene at on Bloor St. W. just east of Avenue Rd. on Friday.

“And from the photographs I’ve seen, it’s a very plausible explanation that it was the dumpster (that had been in the westbound bike lane but was removed after the accident) that forced this woman into live traffic. (I’m feeling) just anguish and rage because this young woman’s family has just been thrust into a nightmare that they are never, ever going to wake up from.”

The accident happened just before 9 a.m. and the driver, 39, remained on the scene.

A photo posted on X by biking enthusiast @jnyyz (and reshared by NotSafe4BikesTO) showed the garbage bin on Bloor in the bike lane surrounded by orange traffic cones on the live traffic side and police tape on the sidewalk side.

“If the bike lane is obstructed there might as well not be a bike lane,” said Spieker, who advocates for cameras to record such infractions.

Spieker herself survived being T-Boned by an SUV driver while on her bike in 2015 at the intersection of Bathurst St. and Shallmar Blvd. – just north of Eglinton Ave. W.

Her spine was broken, she suffered a brain injury, and later nearly died again from a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism (a blood clot) in her left leg.

“Even though we have more cycling infrastructure than ever before, we still have, at this point in the year, five cyclists who have been killed, and the year is not even close to being over,” said Spieker.

“Last year was four. But four is the highest number we’ve had in the last decade. This is a record breaking year for drivers killing people on bikes.”

Spieker partly blames congestion with the city’s population increasing but spatially not having enough room for more cars, so alternatives like active transportation and public transit need to be encouraged, “which is a very politically contentious issue.”

Secondly, she says, Toronto “has very badly designed streets with arterial roads that allow for high speed car travel, so if a pedestrian or cyclist is struck they are very likely to die or their life to be ruined by the extensive injuries that they receive.”

Female cyclist dead after dump truck collision in downtown Toronto

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Cyclist, 59, fatally struck by vehicle near Brick Works

There will be a Ghost bike ride in the late cyclist’s honour on July 31 with a 6 p.m. meet up at Matt Cohen Park and the ride itself starting at 6:30 p.m. and going until 7:30 p.m.

“The group is called Advocacy For Respect For Cyclists, or ARC for short, and they are wonderful, caring people who take time out of their lives every time a motorist kills someone who is riding a bike and they post a tribute to them,” said Spieker.

When contacted Friday, neither the City nor Toronto Police had anything new to add to the statements they issued Thursday.

Among other things, police will be trying to determine if the bin blocking the bike lane prompted the woman, who was reportedly using a ride share bike, to merge into traffic.

“While it is not clear what the investigation will find, the City is reminding residents and businesses of the importance of keeping bike lanes clear of any obstacles in order to help ensure the safety of all road users,” said some of the City of Toronto’s statement posted on X.