A 58 year old woman has died, from injuries she suffered after getting hit by a semi, while riding a bicycle. She's identified as Joann Kowalski, of Erie.

It happened around 2:45 Thursday afternoon, at the intersection of East 6th and the Bayfront Connector.

Investigators say Kowalski and the truck driver, 45 year old Brian Taylor, were both traveling west on 6th Street. When Kowalski turned onto the Bayfront Parkway, investigators believe she lost control, and bumped into the side of the semi, which was also turning north onto the Bayfront.

Deputy Coroner, Korac Timon says the back tires of the semi tractor truck then ran over Kowalski. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 4:30 in the afternoon.

The tanker truck kept going, but police pulled it over a couple of miles away along Erie's Bayfront. Police believe Taylor did not realize that he hit the bicyclist.
According to police, the driver was taken to the hospital for blood tests, but that's per his company's protocol. 

Investigators say Taylor is cooperating with the investigation, and as of late Thursday night, he has not been charged.

Meantime, neighbors at the scene say the dangerous intersection could have played a role in the crash. They tell us while it was a very tragic accident, it's not surprising. They describe the intersection at 6th and Bayfront as a very bad one.

We tried calling the city's traffic engineer to see if there might be a problem with that intersection, they didn't return our calls.