Seattle elementary school teacher, 30, fatally struck by Recology truck
A Seattle elementary school teacher died Monday after he was struck by a Recology waste collection truck while biking in the Yesler Terrace neighborhood.
Seattle Public Schools confirmed Wednesday that the bicyclist was Christian Salyer, 30, a reading and math support teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.
"Christian was a dedicated teacher who served our school with passion and care for many years," school Principal Julie Breidenbach wrote Tuesday in a letter to families that the district shared. "His warmth, dedication, and commitment to education will be deeply missed."
The Atlantic neighborhood school is less than 1 mile southeast of Monday's crash site.
Salyer was biking near the intersection of East Yesler Way and 12th Avenue South about 4:30 p.m. when the truck struck him. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center and died later that day from his injuries, according to Seattle police and fire officials and the King County medical examiner's office, which reported his death as an accident.
Officers temporarily closed the intersection to traffic and evaluated the Recology driver for impairment. Police are investigating the crash and did not provide additional information Wednesday, according to Detective Brian Pritchard, a spokesperson for the department.
Recology spokesperson Robert Reed confirmed that one of the company's King County trucks was involved in the crash, and that Recology is cooperating with Seattle police investigators as they work to determine exactly what happened."
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Christian Salyer," Reed wrote in the statement. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones.
An online fundraiser created Tuesday for Salyer's family said the accident had left his family and friends in deep sorrow. The fundraiser had raised more than $63,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 11:43 PM.