Authorities say a 64-year-old woman riding a bicycle in DeSoto died yesterday after a collision with a motor vehicle. DeSoto police and DeSoto Fire Rescue crews responded, and the cyclist was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.
Patrol Capt. G. Kirkland wrote in a Facebook post that the driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, and that the crash is being handled by the department’s accident investigator. The post notes that the rider’s identity will be withheld until next-of-kin notifications are complete and includes photos from the scene, according to the DeSoto Police Department.
Investigation and data context
Texas law enforcement agencies file crash reports that feed the state's Crash Records Information System (CRIS), which researchers and planners use to track bicycle collisions. Local agencies rely on the CRIS public query tool for the underlying data, according to TxDOT CRIS.
Nationally, about 23 percent of bicyclist fatalities in 2021 involved hit-and-run drivers, underscoring the challenges crash investigators can face, according to NHTSA, which also notes ongoing reporting and data issues.
What officials have said
The department has said the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating while investigators work to determine the cause and circumstances of the crash. Officials will release the cyclist's name only after next-of-kin notifications are completed, according to the DeSoto Police Department.
