(UPDATED 9:58 PM with photo of ‘ghost bike’ memorial at the crash scene)

(Intersection of E. Marginal/Hanford around 9:40 am; victim was a short distance north of photo’s right edge)
8:19 AM: Just a few blocks northeast of the east end of the low bridge, a collision this morning has killed a bicycle rider, along the route between West Seattle and downtown. Via SPD Blotter, Seattle Police report:

Seattle Police and Fire responded to a fatality collision between a bicyclist and a semi-truck this morning at South Hanford and East Marginal Way South.

Witnesses called 911 at around 7:15 this morning informing first responders of the collision. Witnesses began giving the adult male cyclist CPR at the scene until Seattle Fire arrived, but the cyclist did not survive his injuries. Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) are enroute to the location where they will process the scene and begin their investigation.

According to SDOT, East Marginal is blocked at the scene for two blocks to the north and to the south, as is Hanford for a block eastward. We’ll add more information to the story as we get it; it’s too early for any word on the rider’s identity.

8:32 AM UPDATE: KING 5 reporter Roberta Romero at the scene quotes witnesses as saying the bicycle hit the back of the semi-truck (update here). Meantime, in a tragic coincidence noted by commenter Lizben, today happens to be the first day of Bike to Work Month.

(Unmarked police car at scene around 9:40 am; bicycle is on road toward right side of photo)
9:32 AM UPDATE: We went to SODO in hopes of finding out a bit more – parked a few blocks away and co-publisher Patrick Sand walked to the scene. The Medical Examiner has just arrived, and that means, police say, the scene will likely be closed another hour or so.

(Semi-truck, stopped north of the crash scene)
10:24 AM UPDATE: Called SPD media relations to ask if they had any updated information yet such as the rider’s age – SFD had estimated “30s” in an early report. Det. Renée Witt says they won’t get that information until the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad clears the scene; she promises to update us when that’s available.

11:08 AM UPDATE: Police have just announced via radio that East Marginal is open again; they are clearing the scene. Another note, as Kathy pointed out in comments – the city Bicycle Advisory Board meets tonight, and this is bound to be discussed (location/time are on the SBAB home page).

4:25 PM UPDATE: No new official information so far. As pointed out in the ongoing comments discussion, The Seattle Times (WSB partner; paywalled link here) quotes a spokesperson for Mayor McGinn as saying the city will consider some quick safety improvements at the scene, perhaps striping.

7 PM: We are at the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board meeting and will publish a separate update later. The meeting began with a moment of silence for the still-not-publicly-identified bicyclist who was killed. SDOT’s Dongho Chang elaborated on the mentioned-earlier mayoral commitment, saying SDOT will report to the Mayor “within 30 days” about some actions that can be taken relatively quickly, though he had no timeline for then making them happen. Most of the meeting is about the project that’s been a big one for the board – the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan update; city reps say a draft should be out within a month.

9:58 PM UPDATE: Kathy Dunn, one of the West Seattle Bike Connections members who were also at the SBAB meeting, has shared this photo taken as she rode back to West Seattle tonight, past the scene of this morning’s crash:

8:51 THURSDAY MORNING: SPD Blotter has updated the crash report with some early findings, and has also reported that the victim was 54. We’re working on a separate followup including more on last night’s board meeting but in the meantime, here’s where to see the police update.