Overview
- A 33-year-old Ferndale resident riding an electric bike was struck and killed after being run over by an Oakland County Road Commission truck on Woodward Avenue, with the collision occurring on June 18 near the vacant Tim Hortons parking lot.
- The Road Commission acknowledged the crash involved one of its drivers and said it was cooperating while the agency and the Ferndale Police Department continue a joint investigation.
- Eyewitness video and accounts describe the truck turning into a driveway and hitting a rider in the bike lane, while the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office reported the cyclist may have been on the sidewalk, a detail investigators are still sorting out.
- Residents and business owners pointed to Woodward’s two-way, contra-flow bike lanes, on-street parking and a narrowed vehicle roadway as design features that create blind spots and make cyclists hard to see at turns.
- Local calls for change include removing parking, redesigning the corridor for clearer sight lines and reviewing county vehicle procedures, which could lead to near-term planning reviews or policy actions if officials act on community pressure.