The remnants of a fatal collision between a car and a bicyclist at the intersection of Yucca Street and Calle Primavera still lingered on the side of the road early Friday afternoon.
Police cordoned off an entire block of Yucca Street from Ponderosa Lane to West Zia Road with crime scene tape so investigators could analyze the green, two-door Honda with its busted front windshield and the bike still on the ground in front of it to try to piece together the accident.
Just before 9 am Friday, the car, driven by a 19-year-old male with a young female passenger, hit Gerald Veazey, the 68-year-old bicyclist. Emergency responders took Veazey to St. Vincent Hospital but he died from his injuries, according to Santa Fe Police Department's Capt. Matthew Champlin.
Champlin says Veazey's next of kin has been notified. He also tells SFR there was no sign anyone involved in the crash was intoxicated and the driver stayed on the scene until law enforcement arrived.
However, the driver of the vehicle might be at fault for the fatal crash and it is possible that in the "near future," charges might be filed against the 19-year-old based on law enforcement's investigation, according to Champlin.
Cecilia, whose house abuts Yucca Road and who didn't want SFR to publish her last name, can see the accident scene from her front door. She tells SFR she didn't hear the accident itself but she did hear the sirens after a witness called 911. Cecilia also says that she saw the young driver of the car standing by the side of the road after the accident.
She feels sorry for him and the victim. She thought about taking out a cup of coffee to the driver but did not want to interfere with police work.
"His heart is breaking, I'm sure," Cecilia says.