A 21-year-old UCSB student was killed yesterday afternoon after she lost control of her bicycle and was hit by a trailer truck while traveling down a narrow road in Goleta.

Kendra Payne, a senior aquatic biology major, was transported by helicopter from the scene of the accident to La Cumbre Jr. High School, according to a California Highway Patrol (CHP) press release. An ambulance then transferred her from the school to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:52 a.m., approximately two hours after the accident. The accident is still under investigation by the CHP.

According to the press release, Payne was riding westbound on Gibraltar Road when a truck pulling a trailer loaded with asphalt began to overtake her bicycle.

As Payne and the vehicle, driven by 26-year-old Santa Maria resident Marcos Almaguer, traveled along the road, the space between her bicycle and the three-axel truck narrowed to approximately one foot. Payne lost control of her bicycle and sustained fatal injuries when she was run over by the trailer’s rear tires.

CHP Officer Jason Bahlman said officers still do not know what caused Payne to lose control of her bicycle.

“The [CHP] is still going to have to do some follow-up,” Bahlman said. “The actual cause of the accident is under investigation right now.”

CHP spokesman Officer Don Clotworthy said that, as of Wednesday night, no charges have been filed against the driver of the truck.

“You really can’t file charges until a thorough investigation has been done,” Clotworthy said. “After an investigation we will consult with the [district attorney].”

Clotworthy said officers will be interviewing people and examining the truck to determine the cause of the accident.

“This is a very, very unfortunate situation,” Clotworthy said. “We owe it to all involved to do a good job with the investigation.”

Print