NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Experienced cyclists say the stretch of Highway 100 near Warner Parks is one they try to avoid at all costs.
On Friday night, it's where Alyssa Milligan, a well-trained cyclist, was killed when a pickup truck hit her.
According to Metro Police, the driver of the pickup, 46-year-old Donald Mashburn of Maryville, said he tried to change lanes, but after looking over his shoulder, Milligan was right in front of him.
Alan Osborne was in a road cycling club with Milligan.
"She was a really strong rider and that's how a lot of us have met her," said Alan Osborne. "We went to a lot of group rides. She was out there with a lot of people... It was always by the book, always where she belonged."
He said where she died on Highway 100, Milligan likely had no other choice but to ride out in the traffic lane. Tennessee law allows cyclists to do that if they have to. It also requires drivers keep a distance of at least 3 feet.
"It's all of our space," Osborne said. "Not just cars. We feel like it is, but we've got to get that out of head because that's absolutely not what the roads are. They are a shared space for all of us."
Although the driver hasn't been charged, the crash on the 45 mph road is still under investigation.
"Three inches would've saved her life. A foot sure would have. Two feet she'd be here giving you the interview and not me. It's not right. It's just not right. We need to slow down. We need to care about people on the road," he said.
More than 40 cyclists have been hurt in crashes in Nashville this year, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Milligan is the first fatality. Between 2010 and 2020, there were — on average — 84 cyclists involved in a traffic crash in Nashville every year.
