SANTA ROSA
Big-rig truck hits, kills female bicyclist

Jim Doyle

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

A Santa Rosa woman was killed Monday when a big-rig truck hit her bicycle at an intersection on the city's outskirts, police said.

Sarah Beth Hines, 39, was riding her bicycle about 11:20 a.m. on Stony Point Road when the 18-wheeler hit her. Hines was knocked off her bike and run over. She died at the scene.

"We're still trying to determine who was at fault," said Sgt. Doug Schlief of the Police Department traffic division. "There doesn't appear to be any gross negligence."

Witnesses told police that Hines, who had been riding her bicycle on the sidewalk, turned into the road at the West Third Street intersection. At that moment, a delivery truck for Clover Stornetta dairy was making a right turn on a green light. Hines' bicycle was in a crosswalk when she was hit, Schlief said.

At least four bicyclists have been killed by motorists in Sonoma County in the past 18 months.