BOSTON — A man on a bicycle has died after he was hit by a dump truck Friday morning, state police say.
Mass. State Police say the bicyclist, identified as a 24-year-old Boston University graduate student Meng Jin, died shortly after he was struck by a dump truck on Monsignor O'Brien Highway on the Boston/Cambridge line near the Museum of Science at 8:15 a.m.
Police earlier said Jin's injuries were serious injuries and CPR was performed. He was taken to Mass. General where he was pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation showed the truck driver, a 50-year-old Leicester man, and the bicyclist were both stopped at the intersection of Museum Way and O'Brien Highway waiting to turn right onto Museum Way. Police say when both began to make the turn, the bicyclist was struck by a tire of the truck.
State police say the identity of the of the dump truck driver will not be released until the investigation determines if charges should be filed.
Jin had started at Boston University in September studying economics, and moved from Shanghai, China to a spot in Cambridge.
Traffic was getting by in one lane each direction causing significant backups. The road has since reopened.
The student's death is another reminder of how dangerous the area can be for cyclists.
“I’ve been doing this commute for 27 years by bike," Pauline Lim said. "Knock on wood, I’m alive still. But yeah, you have to wonder if every day might be your last."
According to the transportation non-profit Walk Boston, there were 10 bicyclist fatalities in 2016, 10 more in 2017 and four since Nov. 5 this year alone. Friday morning's incident makes one more.
"Somebody should never have to die to have these spaces on our roadways made more safe," said Becca Wolfson, Executive Director of the Boston Cyclists Union. "The state made a choice to sacrifice safety for people who bike here for convenience for some motorists."
Wolfson tells Boston 25 News when the state completed the construction of the Longfellow Bridge, bike lanes were supposed to be on the road, but the work has since been delayed due to traffic concerns.
"We absolutely hope that the state acts with no further delay and adds bike lanes to these bridge," said Wolfson.
No charges have been filed yet.