Winston-Salem, NC — January 6, 2026, Thomas Turnbull was killed due to a bicycle versus truck accident soon after 12:00 noon along Akron Drive.
According to authorities, 75-year-old Thomas Turnbull was traveling on a bicycle on Akron Drive somewhere in the vicinity of Ogburn Avenue when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the bicycle was struck by an 18-wheeler.
Turnbull—who had reportedly sustained fatal injuries due to the collision—was declared deceased at the scene. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a cyclist is struck and killed by an 18-wheeler, it raises immediate questions about visibility, space, and right of way. Bicycles and heavy trucks are a dangerous mix under the best of circumstances—and when something goes wrong, it’s usually the cyclist who pays the price.
Here, authorities haven’t said what either party was doing in the moments before the crash. That leaves key questions wide open: Was the truck turning? Was the cyclist in a bike lane or sharing the roadway? Did the driver even see the cyclist before impact?
These aren’t minor details—they’re central to understanding who may be responsible and whether this was an avoidable tragedy. For that reason, investigators should focus on:
- Blind spot analysis: Trucks have large areas of limited visibility, especially along the passenger side. But that’s no excuse for failing to check mirrors or use appropriate turn signals.
- Surrounding traffic infrastructure: Were there dedicated bike lanes, marked crossings, or signage alerting drivers to expect cyclists on Akron Drive?
- In-cab cameras and ECM data: These can confirm whether the driver signaled, braked, or changed lanes around the time of the collision.
- Witness statements or nearby surveillance footage, which are especially important in bike-versus-truck cases where physical evidence alone may not explain how the crash occurred.
In my experience, these types of crashes often come down to a failure to share the road responsibly. Sometimes that’s because a driver simply didn’t see the cyclist. Other times, it’s because they didn’t look—or assumed the cyclist would yield or wasn’t moving fast enough to be a concern.
But commercial drivers are trained to know better. They’re taught that bikes can move quickly, appear in blind spots, and require extra space when passing or turning. If the driver failed to account for that, or the company didn’t properly train or supervise them, that needs to come to light.
At the same time, it’s important not to overlook the cyclist’s movements—especially if the road lacked dedicated bike infrastructure. But in any fatal crash involving a truck and a bicycle, the burden is on the operator of the 80,000-pound vehicle to act with caution.
Key Takeaways:
- Key details about how the crash occurred—turning, lane position, and visibility—remain unknown.
- Truck blind spots and driver behavior must be closely examined to assess potential fault.
- Dash cams, ECM data, and road design features will all play a role in the investigation.
- Commercial drivers are trained to account for vulnerable road users like cyclists.
- Determining what went wrong depends on hard evidence—not assumptions—especially when the cyclist can’t speak for himself.
