The Riverbank News: Local Woman Killed Big Rig Accident Claims One Life
By JOHN BRANCH
A Riverbank woman was hit and killed by an 18-wheeler big rig truck on Wednesday morning, Dec. 30 while wheeling her bicycle through the crosswalk at Atchison Street (Highway 108) and First Street.
Police authorities that initially identified Joyce Nadine Cody, 46, as being from Oakdale later said she was, indeed, a Riverbank resident.
Eastbound on Atchison Street, Cody had cycled on the northern sidewalk across the Highway 108 viaduct just west of First Street but dismounted to cross First Street to the Shell gas station on the opposite side when she was hit by a big rig making a right hand turn onto the highway.
Entangled in the front fender, she was dragged about a hundred yards before falling off and being run over by the wheels near the high point of the viaduct, according to Sgt. Gary Crawford of the Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) of the Modesto Police Department that did the investigation for Riverbank Police Services.
California Department of Transportation employees who happened to be patching potholes on the west end of the viaduct spotted the wrecked bicycle still caught below the truck and flagged the big rig down.
The driver, identified as being an Oakdale resident making a delivery to the Riverbank cannery site, stopped his vehicle on West Santa Fe Street leading to the cannery gates.
He told police he did not see the victim at any time and was unaware anything was wrong until the Caltrans workers waved him down.
The driver of a westbound vehicle ahead of the truck told investigators he looked in his rear view mirror and saw the cyclist dismount at the crossing.
Riverbank police received a call about the accident at 8:49 a.m. and were on scene by 8:51 a.m., said Sgt. Frank Fenn. Caltrans had already blocked the highway, which remained closed until after 3 p.m.
Cody had been employed at Riverbank’s Sno-White Drive In for about four years, said restaurant owner Daryl Daniel, adding she was “athletic” and frequently rode her bike about town.
