A cyclist was hit and killed Monday in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Loved ones are remembering 62-year-old John Corcoran of Newton, Massachusetts, after he was fatally hit while riding his bike on Memorial Drive.
His family is calling for better safety measures on the road.
“On Monday, the world lost a great man,” said his son, John Corcoran. “My sister and I lost our father, my mother lost her husband. And that really didn’t need to happen.”
“There are some moments where I’m just sort of like — finally able to think about something else. And then I go, ‘Oh, I don’t have a dad anymore,’” said daughter Christine Corcoran.
The two Harvard University students lost their father after a driver hit him near the Boston University boathouse.
“Coming to and realizing that this wasn’t a dream and this was actually happening was the worst moment of my life,” John Corcoran said.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, this feeling,” said Christine Corcoran.
Massachusetts State Police say a driver in his 20s lost control of his vehicle. Witnesses told police the car then jumped the sidewalk.
Corcoran’s wife, Barbara Bower, says it was a route he would ride every day for fun.
“Despite all of his efforts to be a safe cyclist, somebody else’s recklessness killed him,” Bower said.
“Poor highway design and poor road design leads to situations where people can get to speeds that are so critically dangerous that they can kill someone,” said Christopher Cassa, a member of the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group.
Massachusetts State Rep. Mike Connolly, a Democrat representing Cambridge, is also calling for safety enhancements in the spot.
“It’s really tragic and unfortunate, because DCR has made commitments to do that,” Connolly said. “We need those commitments filled as soon as possible.”
State police are investigating the cause of the crash. No charges have been filed.
