A Massachusetts man is dead after he collided with a truck while participating in a dirt-road bicycle race in Vermont, according to authorities.Vermont State Police officials said the department was notified about the crash in the town of Burke at about 9:20 a.m. Saturday.Richard Wanstall, 54, of Marblehead, was riding his bicycle south on Brook Road and had entered the other side of the roadway when he collided with the front of a northbound 2007 Dodge truck near the intersection of Carter Road, according to investigators.State police said Wanstall was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Wanstall was participating in the Rasputitsa, an annual grassroots dirt road bicycle race held in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.”We are deeply saddened by the news that one of our community members died today, after colliding with a vehicle while on course,” reads a post on the Rasputitsa Facebook page.In this year’s race guide, Rasputitsa organizers warned participants that all roads are open to traffic.”For your safety, please be constantly aware of your surroundings and abide by normal traffic rules,” reads a bullet point in the “Event Rules” section of the race guide.Helmets are also required to be worn by Rasputitsa participants, according to the event rules.The truck driver was identified as 27-year-old Alex Goss, of East Haven, Vermont, but state police stated that “neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors in the collision.”The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or information about it is asked to call the Vermont State Police at 802-241-5000.
A Massachusetts man is dead after he collided with a truck while participating in a dirt-road bicycle race in Vermont, according to authorities.
Vermont State Police officials said the department was notified about the crash in the town of Burke at about 9:20 a.m. Saturday.
Richard Wanstall, 54, of Marblehead, was riding his bicycle south on Brook Road and had entered the other side of the roadway when he collided with the front of a northbound 2007 Dodge truck near the intersection of Carter Road, according to investigators.
State police said Wanstall was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wanstall was participating in the Rasputitsa, an annual grassroots dirt road bicycle race held in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
“We are deeply saddened by the news that one of our community members died today, after colliding with a vehicle while on course,” reads a post on the Rasputitsa Facebook page.
In this year’s race guide, Rasputitsa organizers warned participants that all roads are open to traffic.
“For your safety, please be constantly aware of your surroundings and abide by normal traffic rules,” reads a bullet point in the “Event Rules” section of the race guide.
Helmets are also required to be worn by Rasputitsa participants, according to the event rules.
The truck driver was identified as 27-year-old Alex Goss, of East Haven, Vermont, but state police stated that “neither speed nor impairment are believed to be contributing factors in the collision.”
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or information about it is asked to call the Vermont State Police at 802-241-5000.
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