Bicyclist Killed in Truck Accident on St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans, LA

UPDATE (July 25, 2025): Additional reports have been released which clarify some of the details as to what happened during this accident. According to these reports, the westbound 18-wheeler came to a stop on St. Claude Avenue and was in the middle of performing a right turn onto Franklin Avenue when the collision took place between the truck and the westbound bicyclist. The man who was riding the bike was reportedly a 65-year-old man. No further details are currently available. Investigations continue.

New Orleans, LA — July 24, 2025, a pedestrian was killed due to a bicycle versus truck accident at approximately 4:30 p.m. along St. Claude Avenue.

According to authorities, both a bicycle and an 18-wheeler were traveling westbound on St. Claude Avenue in the vicinity of the Franklin Avenue intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, a collision took place between the truck and the bicycle. The person who had been riding the bicycle reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased at the scene. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Now that updated reports confirm the truck was executing a right turn when it struck a bicyclist traveling in the same direction, the nature of this crash becomes clearer—and more troubling. Collisions like this typically point to one of the most well-known hazards in urban trucking: the right-turn conflict, where a truck turns across the path of a cyclist continuing straight.

In many cities, including New Orleans, bikes often ride to the right of vehicle traffic, sometimes in marked lanes, sometimes not. When a truck turns right from a shared lane without accounting for a cyclist traveling alongside, it creates exactly the kind of blind spot danger that safety training and fleet policies are supposed to prevent.

That’s why this type of crash raises serious questions about visibility and awareness. Did the driver check their mirrors before turning? Did the truck have proper blind-spot mirrors or cameras installed? Was the turn signal activated early enough to give any nearby cyclist a clear warning? These are all questions that can and should be answered with the help of dash cam footage, driver interviews, and physical evidence from the scene.

The design of the intersection also matters. Was there a bike lane or signage indicating that bikes may be present? Was the layout of the turn such that the truck’s path naturally swept into the cyclist’s route? Crashes like this often occur not just because of one bad decision but because of an environment that puts cyclists and trucks into conflict with too little margin for error.

This incident also highlights a broader issue with urban freight movement. Trucks designed for highways don’t handle the same in tight city environments. Their size, turning radius, and blind spots make them inherently risky when sharing space with vulnerable road users like cyclists. That’s not a knock on truck drivers—it’s a reality of vehicle dynamics that must be accounted for through training, equipment, and route planning.

Key Takeaways:

• The truck was making a right turn when it crossed into the path of a westbound cyclist, a common and preventable crash scenario.
• Investigators should examine blind spot visibility, mirror use, and turn signal timing to assess the driver’s awareness.
• The presence and design of any bike lane or signage at the intersection are important to understanding how the crash occurred.
• Large commercial trucks pose unique risks in urban environments, especially during turning maneuvers.
• The investigation should focus not just on driver behavior, but on whether the truck’s operation was appropriate for the roadway.