Cyclist killed in accident

A 37-year-old Bloomington man was killed Monday morning when his bicycle slid under a cement truck. \nMichael Steinbach died soon after paramedics arrived at the corner of Third Street and Walnut Street. Several witnesses watched at 11:07 a.m. as Steinbach, riding his bike the wrong direction on Walnut Street in the right-hand lane of traffic, entered the intersection as an IMI cement mixer truck was making a right turn onto Walnut St. The accident was only two blocks from the Bloomington Police Station. \n"The bicycle rider went right underneath the cement mixer and was run over by one or more of the wheels," said Det. Sgt. David Drake of the Bloomington Police Department. The man's red bike was mangled at the scene, and his glasses were found on the ground near the accident. \n"It appeared as though he had significant internal chest injuries, like the wheels went across his chest," Drake said. \nSteinbach, who was not wearing a helmet, also had injuries and bleeding from the head. Attempts made to revive him were unsuccessful. \n"One of the officers brought out CPR (equipment) but it was evident that it wasn't going to do any good," Drake said. The bicycle rider was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner David Toumey. Steinbach was coming from breakfast at the Shalom Community Center, a resource center that assists the homeless and poor, at the time of the accident.\nThe truck driver, James Parsons of Spencer, Ind., did not notice that he had run over the biker until he was halfway down the block, when a passerby waved him down by yelling and pointing, Drake said. An officer was also in the vicinity before the accident and was alarmed by a witness' scream.\nThe driver of the truck was not injured in the accident. A breath test administered to Parsons indicated no signs of alcohol.\n"It was a shock to us all," said Joel Rikas, the executive director of the Shalom Community Center, who saw Steinbach the morning of the accident. Steinbach frequently visited the center over the past five years, and was a regular for meals, Rikas said. \n"Several people around here knew Michael, and within minutes of leaving here he was dead," Rikas said. \nThe accident cast a somber atmosphere at the center for the rest of the day, and inspired much reflection from its visitors, Rikas said.\n"He was one of the guests we see everyday," Rikas said. "It really made people think about how life can change in a moment."\nThe roads were closed down for two hours as police, medical personnel and accident re-constructionists worked on the scene. There was no indication something was wrong with the truck, but the accident is still under investigation. There will be a memorial service for Steinbach today at 11 a.m. at the Shalom Center on 219 E. Fourth St. housed in the First United Methodist Church.