High school student on bicycle dies in collision with vehicle in East Anchorage

The bicyclist who died late Monday morning in a collision with a vehicle in East Anchorage attended Benny Benson secondary school, according to a statement from the Anchorage School District.

Anchorage police officers responded to a report of the crash at Tudor and Baxter roads just after 11:30 a.m. The bicyclist was declared dead at the scene.

A damaged bicycle and a Dodge minivan with a smashed windshield were at the scene around noon.

The district said students and staff at Benny Benson will have access to support services to help them cope with the tragedy. Benny Benson is a vocational education program for high school students.

“The entire ASD community is deeply saddened by the sudden death of one our high school students today,” the district said in a statement released Monday evening. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time."

The intersection was closed until about 3 p.m., as police conducted an investigation.

No further details were immediately available, including whether anyone in the van was injured.