Bicyclist dead after crash with GRTC bus on West Broad Street in Henrico

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A bicyclist is dead after a crash involving a Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) bus on W. Broad Street in Henrico County in October.

At 6:46 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, officers with the Henrico County Police Division responded to a report of a bicyclist down in the roadway on the eastbound lanes of W. Broad Street, near the exit ramp of Interstate 64 and Forest Avenue.

According to police, additional details revealed that the bicyclist had been hit by a GRTC bus.

When they arrived, officers found 73-year-old Gerald Kopecky of Henrico with “obvious signs of trauma." He was taken to an area hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. He died due to his injuries on Saturday, Nov. 8, according to the Henrico County Police Division.

Police said an initial investigation shows that Kopecky was riding his bicycle along the eastbound lanes of W. Broad Street between Glenside Drive and Forest Avenue, when he collided with a GRTC bus.

Investigators do not believe speed or alcohol was a factor in the crash as of the time of reporting. The driver of the GRTC bus is cooperating with the investigation, according to police.

"Henrico Police would like to remind our community members to 'Watch Out Ahead Henrico' or 'WOAH!'" police wrote in a release. "This traffic-safety campaign was created to have our community members say that very phrase. Whether you’re traveling by foot, bicycle or motor vehicle, we all have a role to play in getting to where we’re going [safely]."

Anyone with further information on this crash is asked to contact Crash Investigator C. Bolinger at 804-501-5000.