Cyclist dies after being struck by car on Memorial Drive

A bicyclist died after he was his hit by a car on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, according to Massachusetts State Police.

John Corcoran, 62, was struck on Monday around 6 p.m. near the Boston University Boathouse on Memorial Drive, police said. Corcoran, of Newton, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

State police said that the preliminary investigation indicates that a driver in his 20s lost control of his vehicle, hitting Corcoran. Officials have not yet identified the man publicly.

The Middlesex State Police Detective Unit is investigating the crash, and charges have not been filed, according to the state police.

Following the crash, some bike safety activists expressed frustration on social media at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the agency responsible for maintaining the road.

In a statement to WBUR on Wednesday, the DCR said the agency is working on adding safety measures to their roads.

“We are actively working to introduce additional bike lanes to this area of Memorial Drive to improve safety for both cyclists and pedestrians and will be engaging with stakeholders, legislators and the public as we move forward with that effort," said a spokesperson for the department. "Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

The DCR said it is working on a number of safety improvements on Memorial Drive, including widening the sidewalk leading to the BU rotary and re-striping crosswalks to include the green paint for the bike crossings. The department is also working with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on a longer term re-design of the Reid Overpass which includes intersection of Memorial Drive and the BU Bridge.

In a post on social media, Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc McGovern said he was "devastated to hear of yet another cyclist death" in the city.

"We must do everything we can to make our streets safer, without delay," wrote McGovern.

Two cyclists died in Cambridge in June after collisions with vehicles at busy intersections. A 55-year-old woman from Florida was killed when a box truck hit her at the intersection of DeWolfe and Mount Auburn streets on June 7. Two weeks later, a 24-year-old woman was killed in a crash with a box truck at the intersection of Hampshire and Portland streets.