Cyclist Killed In Cambridge Crash Was Nursing Student
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – A woman struck and killed while riding her bicycle in Cambridge's Inman Square has been identified as a 27-year-old nursing student.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Amanda Phillips was riding her bike at the intersection of Hampshire and Cambridge Streets on Thursday when she was hit by a landscaping truck.
Phillips was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but later died.
The MGH Institute of Health Professions said in a statement that the community was "deeply saddened" by Phillips' death.
Described as a "bright and vibrant student," Phillips was studying in the accelerated Bachelor of Science nursing program. She was scheduled to graduate in the summer of 2017.
Phillips was an employee of Diesel Café in Somerville. The restaurant will be closing early on Friday so employees can grieve.
"The Diesel family mourns her loss. Please be gentle with each other and tell those that you love that you love them," the business posted on its Facebook page.
Witnesses say Phillips initially swerved to avoid or was hit by the door of an SUV, knocking her into the path of the landscaping truck. The collision remains under investigation.
Her friends are pleading for safety on the roads. "RIP Amanda Phillips," says one of the signs at the roadside memorial. Another one says, "Please watch out for cyclists."
Lumina Gershfield Cordova posted them a day after she heard the chilling sound that prompted her 911 call. "I heard a scream like somebody got hurt."
Phillips was also known as Noel to family and friends, whom she inspired to join her in competitive races.
"It feels like we lost a family member," said Diesel Café manager Courtney Verhaalen.
"She was one of those employees who everyone loved…one of the smartest people we had the honor of knowing," said Jennifer Park, co-owner of the café. "Just want to make sure everyone is careful on your bikes, and in your cars."
Phillips was killed in a notoriously dangerous intersection the City of Cambridge is planning to reconfigure.
It also has cycling activists reminding those on the road to keep eyes open. Local cyclist Dan Milbrandt says he had a similar accident in nearby Somerville only hours earlier.
He caught it on the camera mounted on his bike, and posted it on YouTube. "Her door opened up and hit me, and I fell over," he said. "I got really lucky though, because, as you know, Amanda was killed the same day."
WBZ-TV's Christina Hager contributed to this report.
