Cyclist dies after hit and run on Wellington Crescent: Winnipeg police

A 61-year-old cyclist is dead after a hit and run collision on Wellington Crescent Thursday morning, Winnipeg police say.

Officers were called to the collision at Wellington and Cockburn Street around 7 a.m., police said earlier Thursday.

The cyclist was rushed to hospital in critical condition but died from his injuries, police said in an update on Thursday afternoon.

Police said a suspect vehicle has been recovered, but their investigation is continuing. They did not say whether a driver has been identified or if any arrests have been made.

Both the vehicle and the cyclist were travelling east on Wellington Crescent at the time of the crash, police said.

Following the 7 a.m. collision, a running shoe could be seen in the middle of Wellington Crescent, and an officer was speaking to a woman near an SUV.

The victim's family has been notified, police said.

"It's always sad news when we hear these things," said Mark Cohoe, the executive director of the advocacy group Bike Winnipeg. 

"Someone was out riding their bike, and tonight they are not going to be home with their loved ones, and that's what we need to think of — that we all want to be home with our loved ones at the end of the day."

The city needs to improve safety by developing its bike and roadway network and removing "conflict points," he told CBC Radio's Up To Speed on Thursday afternoon.

Cohoe said he's had a few close calls cycling in the city. On a recent ride down Osborne Street, a driver steered into the left lane while passing him — and after another vehicle honked at the driver, the passing vehicle cut Cohoe off.

Visibility, predictability and manoeuvrability are key when it comes to cycling, he said. 

Cohoe said he always keeps a one-metre distance between himself and the curb, which makes him more visible to drivers and gives him a bit more room to move if there's a hazard — like a pothole — in his path. 

"If you can give a person [on a bike] that full lane when you pass them that's best for sure, but you should at least be giving half a lane as you pass, because I think we all know our roads aren't in great condition and sometimes you need that manoeuvrability on your bicycle," Cohoe said. 

"It might mean 30 seconds of delay for you, but that can mean a world of difference that can change someone's life."

In a news release issued just before 4 p.m., police said the Wellington and Cockburn area remained closed to traffic.

They're asking anyone with information, including dash camera footage or home surveillance, to call the Winnipeg Police Service's traffic division at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS), or to make a report at winnipegcrimestoppers.org.