SUNOL — A bicyclist was killed in Niles Canyon Saturday morning when a driver hit him.

Charles Ragan, 35, of Hayward, was pedaling in the eastbound lane of Highway 84/Niles Canyon Road about two miles west of Main Street in Sunol when the accident occurred shortly before 7:36 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Derek Reed.

That section of road is so narrow that there is no shoulder to accommodate bicyclists, he said.

A Fremont woman driving a 2006 Toyota Tacoma truck was traveling 40 to 45 miles per hour when she struck the rider; she told authorities she didn’t see him because the sun was in her eyes, Reed said.

Police do not suspect that either speed, drugs or alcohol was a factor.

Ragan, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The eastbound lane was closed for nearly two hours.

Although the natural beauty of Niles Canyon makes it a popular route for bicyclists, Reed said accidents are not common.