A man riding a bicycle died after a crash between a sport utility vehicle and his bike on Oak Ridge Turnpike in west Oak Ridge on Sunday.  85 year old Verne Gilbert of Oak Ridge was fatally injured when the wreck occured around 1:40 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 58 and Blair Road.  Highway 58 was closed for several hours at the intersection with Blair Road as police investigate.

There were many road bike riders in west Oak Ridge on Sunday afternoon, including on or alongside Oak Ridge Turnpike and Blair Road, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the riders were part of an organized event or race—or if they were just enjoying the warm, sunny Sunday afternoon.

The female driver of the SUV was not reported to be injured.  A Clinton Police Department Crime Scene Unit responded to the crash at about 3:15 p.m. The ORPD sometimes uses the CPD unit to help with crash reconstructions in fatal crashes.

The Roane County Sheriff’s Office was helping with traffic control. The Oak Ridge Fire Department was also on the scene.