Bicyclist killed in crash with school bus in St. Paul

A bicyclist was killed Wednesday afternoon in St. Paul when he was struck by a school bus.

The collision occurred about 2:10 p.m. at the intersection of Snelling and Summit avenues by Macalester College. The bicyclist, a man who has not been identified by authorities, was wearing a helmet, said police spokesman Steve Linders.

Linders said authorities are working to notify the bicyclist's family, and may release his name Thursday. A preliminary investigation showed that the bus may have been turning and the bicyclist may have been crossing the street when the collision occurred.

"I'm not sure where they collided, how the crash happened, but we're trying to figure that out," he said.

Authorities don't believe alcohol or drugs were a factor for the male bus driver.

The school bus remained parked in the middle of the intersection Wednesday afternoon as authorities collected evidence. It sat on Summit Avenue apparently traveling eastbound, and was pointed mid-turn northbound on Snelling.

The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

About 30 students on the bus were taken to the Macalester campus and picked up by another bus. None was injured, nor was the bus driver, Linders said.

Linders said the intersection is "incredibly busy," but said he could not say how dangerous it is for bicyclists.

"We all need to look out for one another," he said.

The bus driver has not been arrested.

According to St. Paul Public Schools spokeswoman Toya Stewart Downey, the bus was driven by a contractor for the district. The students were from Ramsey Middle School, and some witnessed the collision. Crisis counselors will be at Ramsey for the remainder of the week.

There were 99 collisions between vehicles and bicycles in 2017, with one fatality, Linders said. So far this year, there have been five, with one fatality.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708 Twitter: @ChaoStrib