Perry P. Rubinelli, age 56, has been identified as the scooter rider who was struck down on a Tucson road Wednesday morning.
At approximately 5:17 a.m. Wednesday morning, deputies with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department responded to the report of a motorcyclist who had been run over by a pickup truck. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies found the male rider of a motor scooter deceased underneath a full-size GMC pickup truck. Investigators with the Sheriff’s Traffic Unit responded and provided the following description: The motor scooter was travelling northbound on Sandario Road approaching Park Road.
For an unknown reason, the rider of the scooter locked up the brakes of his vehicle. As a result, the scooter slid and rider and scooter were separated. The scooter came to rest on the eastern shoulder of Sandario Road and the rider ended up in the southbound lane. He was wearing a helmet and gloves. The driver of a GMC pickup truck travelling southbound on Sandario Road noticed the headlights of the downed scooter on the side of the road and looked for the rider. When he looked back in his traffic lane, he saw the body lying in the roadway. The driver swerved to avoid the man, but was unsuccessful and ran over the downed motorcyclist. He immediately stopped.
Investigators determined that he was travelling in his lane within the posted speed limit. Alcohol was not a factor in this incident.