A 71-year-old cyclist died in hospital after slamming into a parked van on Dupont Street just west of Christie Street Tuesday afternoon, Toronto police say.

The collision happened at around 1:30 p.m. after westbound traffic stopped to allow an eastbound car to turn left into a parking lot on Dupont Street, Const. Clint Stibbe said.

But the westbound-travelling cyclist continued riding between parked cars and the vehicles that had come to a stop.

When the cyclist noticed the turning car, however, he swerved and hit the back of a minivan that was parked on the north side of Dupont, Stibbe said.

Stibbe, the media officer for traffic services, tweeted on Wednesday morning that the cyclist had the right of way and didn't have to stop for the car, however other factors contributed to the crash and the investigation is ongoing.

The cyclist was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.

Police believe the cyclist — who has not been identified — may have been travelling at 30 km/h at the time of the crash.

Dupont Street, just west of Christie Street, was closed to traffic Tuesday afternoon for an investigation after a cyclist died in a collision with a car. (Tina Mackenzie/CBC)

Initially, Toronto police tweeted that the cyclist had been cut off before slamming into the back of the parked van. They had also reported that the moving car involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene.

They later retracted that, saying the cyclist should not have been "cutting between cars" before the crash.

Police have been in touch with the drivers involved in the incident.

Dupont Street was closed for an investigation following the accident.