Bicyclist killed by commuter bus in Santa Clara identified

A bicyclist who was hit and killed by a commuter bus on Thursday in Santa Clara has been identified as 49-year-old Morgan Hill resident Michael Hatch, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office.

Santa Clara police said Hatch was in the bike lane at about 5:20 p.m. when the bus turned south from Bunker Hill Lane to Great America Parkway and hit him.

Hatch’s loved ones created a GoFundMe donation page on Sunday to raise money for his family, which includes his wife and children. The page at https://www.gofundme.com/michael-hatch-memorial-fund has raised $330 of its $1,500 goal as of this afternoon.

His friends wrote on the page:

“We have such fond memories of Mike. … He was a super guy and a great friend. He was kind, sensitive, athletic, funny, sweet, smart, caring and fun.”

Police said traffic cameras recording the accident clearly showed the bus failing to yield the right of way to Hatch. The bus was owned by El Paseo Limousine, which runs a free commuter line for the Altamont Corridor Express rail service, according to Santa Clara police Capt. Wahid Kazem.

Kazem said the driver stayed on the scene and was “completely cooperative,” and was not believed to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

James Brown of El Paseo Limousine said:

“We are greatly saddened and offer our heartfelt condolences to those that lost their loved ones.”

He added the crash is under investigation and the bus company is working with investigators.

Bay City News

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