A White Pigeon man died early this morning in a collision between a pickup truck and a bicycle in Constantine Township. According to a Sheriff’s Office press release, deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded just before 5 a.m. to the area of Riverside Drive and Blue School Road.

The bicyclist, a 35-year-old White Pigeon resident named Timothy Slabaugh, was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries he received in the collision. The operator of the pickup truck that struck Slabaugh, 20-year-old Hunter McKenzie of White Pigeon, was not injured.

According to the press release, the vehicle operator was wearing a seatbelt, and the bicyclist was found to have one or more controlled substances in his system, which could include alcohol or drugs. Speed was also a factor in the incident. Beyond that, the press release did not state what circumstances led to the collision. It remains under investigation.

Deputies received on-scene assistance from the Constantine Fire Department, Life Care Ambulance, the St. Joseph County Victim’s Services Unit, the Western Michigan Medical Examiner, and Broker’s Wrecker Service.

Dave Vago is a writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.