A collision on El Camino Real at California Avenue claimed the life of a juvenile riding a bicycle.
On Friday, March 6, 2020 at around 7:40 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received multiple calls that a collision between a vehicle and bicyclist on El Camino Real at California Avenue had just occurred. Officers arrived on scene right away as did personnel from the Palo Alto Fire Department. The bicyclist, a middle-school aged male from Palo Alto, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation conducted by our Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team revealed that both the vehicle and bicyclist were traveling eastbound on California Avenue approaching the intersection at El Camino Real, with the bicyclist riding on the sidewalk. The vehicle, a white 2008 International flatbed truck, made a right turn to head southbound on El Camino Real, and collided with the bicyclist. The driver, a man in his sixties from Palo Alto, stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. He was uninjured. Police are not releasing the identity of the juvenile; that information can be obtained from the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office.
Police do not believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor in this collision. The investigation into the cause is ongoing. The driver of the truck has not been cited or arrested pending the outcome of the investigation.
Officers closed the southbound lanes of El Camino Real from the time of the collision until 1:30 this morning to allow the STAR Team to safely conduct their investigation and collect evidence.
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision and who has not already spoken with the police about it is encouraged to call our 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through our free mobile app, downloadable at www.bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or www.bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
