REHOBOTH, MA (BRAIN) Thursday April 12 2012 11:04 AM MT—Police here say the apparent failure of a recalled Cervelo fork may have contributed to a fatal bike accident Monday.
Rehoboth police said an off-duty patrolman found an injured bicyclist on the road Monday afternoon. The victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arriving there.
Police later told The Taunton Daily Gazette that the rider was on a Cervelo Soloist and that it appeared a "mechanical failure" involving the fork led to the crash. An investigating officer said the fork was separated from the bike.
In 2008, Cervelo recalled 5,800 forks used on several of its bike models. The forks, designed by Cervelo and manufactured by True Temper in China, were recalled because the steerer tubes could break during normal use.
The Gazette identified the victim as Gary Lanoue, 58, of Attleboro, Massachusetts. Lanoue was a father of three and was training for what would have been his 15th Rhode Island MS150 ride.
Cervelo spokesman Peter Donato said the company has contacted Reboboth police and is waiting to hear back from them with details.
Cervelo posted a statement on its website Thursday evening about the situation.
"There has been considerable speculation in the media the last few days about potential causes of this tragic accident," the statement read. "These include the fork, wheel separation, and collision with another vehicle. We have been in contact with the authorities involved in investigating this crash and are awaiting information from them. We do not have any confirmed details at this time that would shed more light on what happened Monday afternoon. It would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the incident, as we are sure everyone appreciates, as there is a police investigation underway to determine the cause of the accident.
"We take our commitment to engineer the best and safest products possible very seriously. At this point we need to respect the process that is underway, and we will support this effort in whatever way possible. Our thoughts continue to be with Mr. Lanoue’s family and friends."
