Man on motorized unicycle killed in crash with garbage truck in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – A man on a motorized unicycle died in a collision with a Recology garbage truck in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood early Wednesday morning, according to police and Recology officials.
The collision was reported shortly before 4 a.m. in the area of Oak Street and Octavia Boulevard, where officers arrived and found the cyclist, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name was not immediately released.
According to officials at Recology, the company that contracts with the city to collect and recycle waste, a collection truck was going north on Octavia when the unicyclist struck near the rear of the truck.
"Safety is Recology's paramount priority, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of life in this tragic accident," company spokesperson Robert Reed said. "Our most sincere sympathies go out to the loved ones of the victim."
Recology is setting up grief counseling for its employees and is cooperating in the police investigation into the collision, Reed said.
Police said they do not believe impairment was a factor in the collision and ask anyone with information about the case to call their tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message.