A Livermore woman died at a local hospital hours after being hit by a gravel truck while trying to ride across an intersection on her bicycle on Stanley Boulevard last week.
The victim was identified as 63-year-old Christine Boyle, a mother and retired phone company worker who loved the outdoors and her daily bike rides, according to family.
"Just a tragedy," Barbara Clibbens, Boyle's niece, told the Weekly on Monday.
"She was a good person, just a wonderful person," Clibbens said of her aunt. "She loved her son, Colin. Family was everything to her ... She loved to do photography. She loved to ride her bicycle. She loved being outdoors. She loved exploring. She was a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan."
Livermore police are still working to locate the truck driver, who left the scene, according to Sgt. Steve Goard.
Boyle's death on Dec. 21 marked the beginning of a difficult stretch for the Livermore community, the first of three fatal crashes in less than two days on the week of Christmas. Official details about her death only began to emerge this week.
Goard, in a statement released Monday, said the collision occurred just after 8 a.m. Dec. 21 along eastbound Stanley Boulevard within the Livermore city limits.
A gravel truck with trailer was making a right turn toward the Isabel Avenue/Highway 84 connector, when at the same time, Boyle was riding off the sidewalk to cross straight at the intersection within the crosswalk. A final determination about who was at fault is still pending as the investigation continues, Goard said.
Clibbens said a witness told the family that Boyle attempted to avoid a serious collision by pushing off the truck but she fell and was run over by the tires. Boyle was treated at the scene and transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where she died that afternoon.
"She held on; she tried to fight as long as she could," Clibbens said. "She fought with everything she had for (her son)."
The niece said the family was especially grateful for the support provided by bystander Jessica Benavidez, who stayed with Boyle at the scene until first responders arrived.
Livermore police are continuing to investigate the crash and locate potential witnesses to interview. Investigators are also still working to identify the trucker, who drove away from the scene without stopping, and "it is unclear if the driver was aware of the collision or not," Goard said.
Clibbens implored the truck driver to come forward. "If it was just a horrible accident and he didn't know, that's OK; we understand," she said. "But if he left for another reason ... we want to know."
Boyle, who was one of 11 children, grew up in Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, Penn. She moved to California in her early 20s and worked for years at Pacific Bell -- and its subsequent companies after mergers -- taking trouble calls from technicians in the field until retiring, according to Clibbens.
Boyle is survived by her adult son Colin, whom she loved deeply and cared for as he lived with autism, according to Clibbens.
Comments
Registered user
Livermore
on Dec 29, 2020 at 9:18 am
Registered user
on Dec 29, 2020 at 9:18 am
I cross that intersection daily and there is never a time when I almost do not get hit - no one stops at the light when they are turning right - it is petrifying each and every time I cross I feel like I am taking my life in my hands - seriously isn't there anything that can be done or do we need to wait for more horrific tragedies like this one to occur ?
Registered user
Livermore
on Dec 30, 2020 at 7:11 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 7:11 am
I don't know the trails in this area, but will the new pedestrian bridge next to the RR undercrossing at Stanley x Murrietta be an option? Too bad the bike lane is so narrow on the north side of Stanley.
Registered user
another community
on Dec 30, 2020 at 10:06 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 10:06 am
Livermore and Pleasanton residents should contact their city public works. There are signs that can alert drivers. Also moving the crosswalk so it us more visible to right turn lanes. Is there a way to have a right turn arrow flashing red when walk sign is on. Trouble is cyclists will ride through green light same time as cats and especially gravel trucks race to catch the green light
Registered user
Vintage Hills
on Dec 30, 2020 at 10:29 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 10:29 am
Can't speak for Livermore, but in Pleasanton, Mike Tassano is the head traffic engineer, whose department is responsible for traffic safety. There has been a concerted effort made to make Pleasanton more bicycle-friendly by adding green bicycle lanes throughout the city, alerting drivers to cycle lanes. Along Foothill Road there are bollards that have been installed along some stretches of the roadway to protect cyclists. Livermore surely can and should step up it's traffic engineering department to do the same.
The matter should have been addressed when Isabel was widened, but since it wasn't, residents, cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike need to call their city officials and insist on an expedited safety upgrade in signage/signals to prevent a repeat of this tragic incident. That intersection is truly another accident waiting to happen again.
Registered user
another community
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:05 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:05 am
Edit my comment above. Same time as cars, not cats
Registered user
another community
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:07 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:07 am
Lower the speed limit on Stanley. Cars are going at least 65 and racing to catch the green light
Registered user
Vintage Hills
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:23 am
Registered user
on Dec 30, 2020 at 11:23 am
Stanley speed limit is 55. When I'm driving on it, most drivers respect that. The odd ones that are doing 65 aren't paying attention and heeding the limit. And anybody who tries to negotiate that right turn onto Isabel at 65 is certain to fail. Simple speed reduction isn't the answer.
Registered user
another community
on Mar 11, 2021 at 3:03 pm
Registered user
on Mar 11, 2021 at 3:03 pm
You say that the "cyclist was struck by a truck." Wasn't she struck by the driver of the truck? Or did you mean to perpetuate the fallacy that these things happen and that there isn't much we can do about them.
Would you ever say "the victim was shot by a gun?" Instead, how about, "A driver killed a Livermore woman by hitting her with a gravel truck and then fleeing the scene." Big difference. It conveys respect to the victim and agency to the person that caused the crash.
Registered user
another community
on Mar 11, 2021 at 3:05 pm
Registered user
on Mar 11, 2021 at 3:05 pm
Shame on the Police for using the term "accident." Most crashes are due to driver error, DUI, etc.
Registered user
Pleasanton Meadows
on Mar 11, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Registered user
on Mar 11, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Jeremy Walsh writing in Weekly article published March 3, 2021:
"Investigators concluded rider at fault in crossing into trucks path. Driver absolved".
Registered user
Livermore
on Mar 19, 2021 at 3:39 pm
Registered user
on Mar 19, 2021 at 3:39 pm
"seriously isn't there anything that can be done or do we need to wait for more horrific tragedies like this one to occur ?"
Oh, yes, but Caltrans, who did the reconstruction years ago, constantly demonstrates they do not care about bike or pedestrians so takes the cheapest way out in every situation.
1) Remove all the poles and signs that obstruct the clear line of sight at the corner.
2) Make a button for cyclists and peds that gives them a dedicated green and stops ALL vehicles while they cross (there is a similar problem on the other side of the street as well) (right now the green for turning and cross in the cross walk are on at the same time - an utterly stupid design)
3) Engineer the turn lane and corner to slow vehicles to a crawl so they have time to see anyone there if the button is not pushed for some reason - speed bumps, a sharp corner that requires slowing WAY down. etc.
4) Could make a red for peds and cyclists when the turn lane is green.
The problem is all this takes thought and action, something Caltrans and Livermore are not very good at.