A 17-year-old boy was fatally struck by an LADWP truck while riding his bike a block from his high school in Granada Hills on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The collision occurred about 3:15 p.m. at San Fernando Mission Boulevard and Woodley Avenue (map), according to Officer Jane Kim with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section.
The 17-year-old male victim died on scene, according to alerts from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The victim, a student at nearby John F. Kennedy High School, was riding southbound on Woodley when he was struck by a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power truck going northbound on Woodley, LAPD Valley Traffic Division Capt. John McMahon said at the scene.
It’s not clear what led to the collision between the truck and the cyclist, McMahon said.
The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities, the captain said. The DWP employee passed a field sobriety test and alcohol screening; drugs and alcohol had been ruled out as factors, McMahon said.
“There is no reason to believe this is anything more than a tragedy at this point,” McMahon said. “This is a real tragedy.”
DWP issued a brief statement, saying that a vehicle driven by an electrical construction worker was involved in the collision.
“LADWP extends heartfelt sympathies to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” the statement read.
Video from the scene showed several bikes lying on the corner at the intersection, at least one of them with a mangled front tire. A soda cup was on its side in the street.
A white tent was erected in the intersection over the hood of the DWP pickup truck, and police were waiting for coroner’s officials to arrive.
The intersection was expected to be closed for several hours during the investigation.
KTLA’s Scott Williams contributed to this article.