14-Year-Old Bicyclist Lured Out At 3 A.M. to Meet MySpace Girl Struck & Killed On Highway
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Winston-Salem police confirmed that 14-year-old Mark Zanzarella of Clemmons was killed Sunday morning while riding his bicycle on U.S. 311 near Union Cross Road. According to WXII, the accident occurred about 3 a.m., when a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Angelica Rincon hit the bicycle while traveling southbound on 311.
The young victim was riding a pink bicycle and was either crossing the roadway from east to west or proceeding in the left southbound lane. Police said they do not believe that speed or alcohol was a factor in the deadly crash.
WFMY is reporting that the teen’s mother, Earlene Jones, said he took his little sister’s bike to go meet a girl he met on MySpace. Mrs. Jones believed Mark was on the way from Clemmons to Kernersville.
According to Fox8, police would like to speak to the driver of a red pickup truck who stopped to help. They believe he may have witnessed the accident. Police are also asking anyone else with information about the accident to call them at 336.773.7700.
According to WFMY this is the 14th traffic death this year in Winston-Salem. There were only 6 fatalities during the same period last year.
Update 07/13/09: By all accounts, Mark was a special young man. As you can see from the comments below, his friends and family treasured him and are devastated at his loss. Mark's Dad, Cosmo Zanzarella told the Winston-Salem Journal that his son was outgoing but had a sensitive side, an assessment echoed by Mark's friends and neighbors. He will certainly be missed by them all.
I suppose at this point I should add something about bicycle safety tips and keeping a sharp lookout while driving at night. But there is a time to examine such matters and a time to grieve. Now is the time to celebrate a sparkling, but too-brief life.