A cyclist has died after being hit by a car on the A19 in the early hours of the morning.
Northumbria Police received a report of a collision at around 1.35am on Thursday involving a Ford Fiesta and a cyclist on the A19 northbound between the A183 Offerton and the A1231 North Hylton, near Sunderland.
Emergency services attended the scene but a cyclist in his 20s had died as a result of his injuries.
The man’s next of kin have been notified and have requested that their privacy is respected at this time.
The road was closed overnight and reopened shortly after 7am on Thursday.
An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the collision and officers are now appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Police would especially like to hear from anybody who was travelling on the A19 northbound in the Sunderland area at that time who may have dashcam footage, or anybody who witnessed a pedal bike being ridden on the road.
In particular, they would like to hear from the driver of a heavy goods vehicle that was in the area at the time and who may have witnessed the collision.
Sergeant Dave Roberts, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is clearly a tragic incident that has resulted in a man in his 20s losing his life. Our thoughts are with his family at this awful time.
“We are determined to find out what happened in the moments immediately before this collision and now need the public’s help.
“This is a busy road and we believe other drivers may have seen a man riding a pedal bike on the northbound carriageway in the early hours of this morning.
"If you did and have any information – no matter how insignificant you feel it may be – please come forward and speak to us.
“Please also take time to check your dashcam footage and get in touch if there is absolutely anything that could assist our enquiries.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of their website or by calling 101 quoting log 47 130521.
