Cyclist dies in SF garbage-truck crash

Bicycle that was hit by a Recology garbage truck in the Mission District on May 23, 2013. The cyclist was killed. Bicycle that was hit by a Recology garbage truck in the Mission District on May 23, 2013. The cyclist was killed. Photo: Ellen Huet/The Chronicle Photo: Ellen Huet/The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Cyclist dies in SF garbage-truck crash 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

(05-24) 07:18 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A Recology garbage truck struck and killed a 21-year-old man riding his bicycle Thursday in San Francisco's Mission District, police said.

The crash happened near 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue about 6:45 a.m. The truck, which was parallel to the bicyclist on eastbound 16th, tried to make a right turn onto southbound South Van Ness and collided with the rider, police said.

The bicyclist, who was riding at "a high rate of speed," ran into the back of the truck, police said. He died at the scene.

The garbage-truck driver continued a short distance on South Van Ness, said a witness, 29-year-old Jorge Marquez of San Bruno, but stopped after people on the street alerted him to what had happened. The truck dragged the victim's bike for about a block.

The truck driver was cooperating with investigators, police said. They said drugs or alcohol were not suspected factors in the crash.

The names of the victim and driver have not been released. Robert Reed, a Recology spokesman, declined to comment on the accident or on the driver's record.