Cyclist dies in collision with pickup truck on US 90

JENNINGS, Louisiana (KPLC) – A bicyclist was killed in a crash with a pickup truck on U.S. 90 in Jeff Davis Parish on Sunday.

Shawn Maris, 49, of Mermentau, was driving east near Triangle Shell Road around 9 p.m., said Matt Gaspard, spokesman for Louisiana State Police Troop D. Maris turned left in front of a GMC Sierra that was also traveling east, and the driver was unable to avoid colliding with it.

Maris was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene, Trooper Gaspard said.

Gaspard said Maris was not wearing a helmet and his bike had no reflectors or lights.

The truck driver was properly secured and not injured, Gaspard said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Standard toxicology tests have been submitted for analysis.

Police remind cyclists that the same rules apply to them as motorists and explain that wearing an approved helmet can increase a cyclist's chances of survival in an accident.

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