Cyclist's death sparks safety call

The death of a cyclist on a Saskatoon street shows the city needs to provide separate lanes for cars and bicycles, a cycling group says.

Donald Kukurudza, 55, was killed Wednesday evening when he was struck by a half-ton pickup truck at the corner of Avenue W North and 23rd Street West.

Sean Shaw, the president of Saskatoon Cycles, said the incident illustrates that while road safety is the responsibility of motorists and cyclists, it is incumbent on the city "to make sure the infrastructure is there for them," including separate lanes for bicycles.

Emergency crews said they arrived within three minutes of the 8 p.m. call and found Kukurudza pinned under the truck. Special airbags were used to lift and stabilize the truck, but the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a news release.

Police said they were still investigating the crash but said alcohol was not a factor in the collision.

The man driving the truck, 47, was not believed to have been injured in the crash.