Driver dies after hitting cyclist

By John Forrester, Globe Correspondent

HOLYOKE -- A limousine driver died on Route 5 today from an apparent heart attack after striking a bicyclist, police said.

The driver was taking six passengers to a wedding in Westfield -- including the bride, her grandmother and father, as well as several ushers -- when he struck a man on a bicycle, said Sergeant Isaiah Cruz of the Holyoke Police Department.

After the accident, the driver stopped and exited the vehicle, stepped backwards while holding onto his chest and collapsed. Police, who responded to the scene after being called by residents near the crash site at 1:50 p.m., tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the 67-year-old driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. The biker was transported to Holyoke Medical Center and is listed in stable condition, Cruz said.

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