Update (July 11, 2025): Relatives have identified the cyclist killed in this accident as a 14-year-old boy.
Janesville, WI — June 30, 2025, a cyclist was killed in a garbage truck accident at about 10:20 a.m. at Milton Avenue and East Memorial Drive.
Authorities said a city-owned trash and recycling collection truck hit a cyclist near the intersection.
The cyclist, whose name has not been made public yet, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.
City officials turned the investigation of the crash over to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Rock County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When most people read about a cyclist killed by a garbage truck, the first question they’re likely to ask is the most basic: How does something like that happen? It’s hard to imagine how a person riding a bicycle ends up dead unless something went very wrong, either with the truck, the driver or both.
At this point, we don’t know much about what happened in Janesville. The report confirms that a city-owned trash truck struck a cyclist at a busy intersection, but it doesn’t say who had the right of way, whether the truck was turning or going straight or even if the cyclist was in a designated bike lane. These are not minor details; they’re the difference between a tragic fluke and something preventable.
It’s encouraging that the city handed off the investigation to the Wisconsin State Patrol, but from a legal standpoint, the real answers won’t come from official statements alone. They come from examining the physical and digital evidence. Was there a dash cam in the truck? Many city vehicles have them, and the footage could show exactly where the cyclist was in relation to the truck. Was the truck outfitted with side-view detection systems or cameras? What about the driver/ Was he distracted, fatigued or rushing through his route? These are the kinds of questions that don’t get answered unless someone demands the right data.
I’ve handled commercial vehicle cases where cities and counties were extremely slow to release internal records — driver logs, route schedules, disciplinary history — unless compelled to do so through formal investigation. In one case I worked on, it wasn’t until we pulled the driver’s employment file that we learned he had multiple prior warnings about inattentive driving. None of that came out in the initial press coverage. It took digging.
We also can’t overlook how many of these crashes turn on blind spots and turning maneuvers. Depending on whether the garbage truck was turning right or left — or was stopped versus moving — very different legal questions arise. For example, if the truck was turning right and the cyclist was traveling straight in a bike lane, the law in many jurisdictions favors the cyclist’s right of way. But if the cyclist came up from behind into the truck’s blind spot, the scenario could shift.
Key Takeaways:
- The biggest unanswered questions involve the movement of the truck and the location of the cyclist at the time of impact.
- Critical evidence like dash cam footage, driver records and truck equipment data may clarify how the crash unfolded.
- Determining fault depends heavily on whether the cyclist had the right of way, which current reports don’t address.
- Investigations involving city-owned vehicles often require more pressure to uncover internal accountability.
- No one should assume blame or innocence until all evidence — visual, digital and testimonial — is thoroughly examined.
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