A beloved football coach who also worked with children with special needs has died after a garbage truck hit him on the way to work.
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According to a report by People, the incident occurred while the football coach, Dylan Taylor, 30, was riding his bike. He was on the way to his workplace at the La Entrada Middle School in Menlo Park. Per a statement by the Atherton Police Department, officers responded to a traffic collision between a vehicle and a bicycle on May 7 at around 7:40 AM.
The vehicle was reportedly traveling southbound on Middlefield Road. It hit the bicyclist when turning right into Prior Lane. The statement explains that the bike rider was heading south and in the designated bicycle lane. After the collision, the vehicle driver stayed on the scene and cooperated fully with authorities. Police say they don’t believe drugs or alcohol played a part in the crash. Emergency services rushed to the scene and transported the rider to a local hospital, where he died shortly after.
Friends And Family Of The Coach Are In Mourning
A report by KTVU confirms that Taylor was hit by a garbage truck. The outlet also explains that he was a positive influence in the community and school. In an interview, Taylor’s aunt, Julie Gusman, said, “It was the worst news. I was never expecting anything to happen. He was thirty years old and he had his whole life ahead of him.”
Eddy Valdes, a student at the Middle School, said, “His loss impacted the whole team. He was such a positive influence. He helped kids who were having bad days.” Valdes added, “When I got hurt, he always told me to keep going and never give up on my dreams. He just said Keep on pushing, and when you get better, you will be a hundred times stronger.”
The head football coach at the school, Chris Saunders, told the outlet, “He was smiling when he walked out here every single day and brought joy and a kind of energy and passion and enthusiasm out there on the field.” Chief of Police Steven D McCulley extended his condolences in a statement. He also said the police department is committed to discovering what caused the collision.