Elderly bicyclist killed in crash near Placer elementary school, prompting shelter-in-place

A bicyclist was struck and killed Monday in front of a Newscastle elementary school, prompting school staff to institute a shelter-in-place for students, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol’s Auburn office was called about 10:50 a.m. to a report of a white commercial van colliding into a bicyclist in front of Ophir Elementary STEAM Academy, 1373 Lozanos Road. Students were told to “shelter-in-place,” according to a person who picked up the phone on campus.

The driver stayed on scene and is cooperating with authorities, the CHP said. The investigation into the collision is not criminal, CHP Officer Yvette Norman, a spokeswoman CHP Auburn, wrote in an email.

The identity of the bicyclist hasn’t been released, pending notification of family. She is a woman who is about 70 years old, Norman wrote.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim during this incredibly difficult time,” CHP officials wrote on social media.

The agency noted the cause of the collision is under investigation. It asked residents to remember the importance of road safety and to be vigilant for vulnerable people who travel on roads, such as cyclists.