Cyclist Killed in Crash With SUV on Memorial Drive

Updated September 24, 2024, at 6:48 p.m.

A Newton man died after being hit by an SUV while riding his bicycle on Memorial Drive Monday evening, marking the third cyclist to die in a collision in Cambridge since June.

Massachusetts State Police and Cambridge Police responded to the crash in front of Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse at 5:45 pm on Monday. The cyclist, identified by police as John H. Corcoran ’84, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, the crash “remains under investigation,” although no charges have been filed at this time.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that a man in his 20s lost control of his vehicle and struck a bicyclist,” State Police trooper James D. DeAngelis wrote in an email to The Crimson. “The bicyclist sustained serious injuries and was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

Corcoran, 62, graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and Language. He lived in Winthrop House.

The collision comes as the latest in a series of fatal crashes. Over the summer, a truck struck and killed a Florida woman riding her bike through Harvard Square. Only two weeks later, a second cyclist was killed by a truck in Kendall Square.

The cyclist deaths have caused many Cambridge residents and local leaders to call for stronger truck regulations and improved biker and pedestrian safety in the city.

In an email to members, advocacy group Cambridge Bicycle Safety said that local activists have been calling on the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation to address safety issues at the intersection where the crash occurred.

“This is the third cyclist killed in Cambridge in the past few months, and highlights how dangerous our streets currently are,” the group wrote.

Correction: September 24, 2024

Due to erroneous information from the Massachusetts State Police, a previous version of this article misspelled the last name of the cyclist killed in the collision on Monday.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.