Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Bicyclist, 62, killed by car in Atherton

by Dave Boyce

The San Mateo County Coroner's Office has identified a 62-year-old bicyclist who was struck by a car and killed while crossing El Camino Real in Atherton on Thursday morning, Sept. 30.

Christopher Chandler of Redwood City was killed at about 10:35 a.m. when he was hit by a car on southbound El Camino Real at Isabella Avenue, Atherton police Lt. Joe Wade said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation indicated Mr. Chandler was riding his bike in a crosswalk when a southbound Toyota Camry struck him, Lt. Wade said. The point of impact was the passenger-side windshield.

The driver, a 69-year-old man and a resident of Stanford, stopped at the scene and was cooperating with investigators, Lt. Wade said.

Mr. Chandler came to rest 53 feet south of a curb at Isabella Avenue, Lt. Wade said. The frame of his bike was found on the shoulder of the road about 74 feet away. The distances are likely to increase once measurements from the point of impact are known, Lt. Wade said.

It does not appear that alcohol played a role in the accident, and it has not been determined whether speed was a factor, Lt. Wade said, adding that investigators have not yet made a determination as to who was at fault.

Unlike a pedestrian in a crosswalk, for whom traffic must stop, a bicycle has no special privileges. It is considered a vehicle pulling on to a roadway and is responsible for yielding to oncoming traffic, Lt. Wade said. A cyclist walking a bike in a crosswalk is considered a pedestrian, he said.

Southbound El Camino Real was closed between Watkins and Atherton avenues for about five hours while the accident was investigated.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.