BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Andre Retana, the 13-year-old boy who was killed by a dump truck on March 17, fell off of his bike into a crosswalk before the truck struck him, according to Mountain View police.
Retana came from behind the Alliance Gas Station, traveled briefly north along Grant Road and then northwest on El Camino Real, police said.
He then fell into the crosswalk where he was struck by the truck, spokeswoman Katie Nelson said.
“We do not know what caused him to fall,” Nelson said.
The dump truck, turning right, came to a full stop, and his right turn was clear from car traffic, according to video evidence and witness statements reviewed by police.
“Based on the location where Andre was riding from — behind the gas station and in the truck’s blind spot — the driver could not have seen Andre prior to the collision and did not know he had been involved in the collision until bystanders let him know what had happened,” police said.
The death of Retana, whose legal name was George Oseida, has turned into an emotional flashpoint when cities are making decisions regarding bike lanes on El Camino.
During meetings in Los Altos and Mountain View last week, biking advocates pleaded for cities to do something to improve bike safety, though the cause of the tragedy wasn’ t known. The police department’s statement didn’t come out until March 31.
Retana’s parents called into a meeting in Mountain View and, through tears, asked the city to put up a sign and ban turning right on red at the intersection.
Caltrans runs El Camino and is repaving the road in summer 2023. At the intersection where Retana died, Caltrans is planning to paint a green bike lane that is four feet wide.
A large memorial has been created at the corner where Retana died, and a vigil was held in his honor. His fellow students at Graham Middle School remembered him as a caring friend and a big sports fan.