A professor emeritus with UC Davis passed away after a vehicle struck her bicycle near Davis, California, on Wednesday morning, September 30th. The Yolo County Coroner’s Office identified Professor Emerita Marilyn Olmstead, 77, as the fatal victim.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident took place just after 10 a.m. The accident report revealed that a car traveling on County Road 100A struck the victim’s bicycle after she entered directly into its path from a private road.
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The investigators said that the male driver applied his brakes and veered to the left to avoid striking Olmstead, but could not. Medics arrived to find the woman unresponsive and pronounced her dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
The victim worked with the UC Davis Department of Chemistry before her demise. In a social media post, they acknowledged her death, describing her as a world-class crystallographer and an outstanding teacher beloved by her students.
Auto-bicycle accidents are not as common as other road traffic collisions, but they are one of the most fatal. Common causes of this type of crash include drivers turning into cyclists’ paths and failing to see them when turning or changing lanes.
Vehicles pulling out of junctions, parking lots, or driveways, and drivers who open doors in front of bicycle riders also cause collisions. Other factors are adverse road conditions, reckless and distracted driving, impairment of drivers, and the bicyclist’s failure to ride on their designated lane.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.