An SUV-bike collision killed a cyclist near downtown Cortez Saturday afternoon.

Christopher M. Cordova, 30, of Cortez, died from injuries sustained in the accident at the corner of Elm and West Second Street at around 3:30 p.m., reported Angela Young with the Cortez Police Department.

Young said Cordova was riding eastbound “at a fast rate of speed for a bicycle” on West Second Street when he failed to yield to a Toyota Highlander, driven by Kevin Nez, heading southbound on Elm Street.

“Cordova T-boned the vehicle,” Young said.

Cordova was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead of massive head injuries at Southwest Memorial Hospital, according to the Cortez Police Department and the Montezuma County coroner.

No citations were issued in the accident, because police determined Cordova failed to yield.

“Cyclists must abide by the same traffic rules as vehicles,” Young said. “Make sure you slow down when riding a bike and look both ways at every intersection.”

The accident occurred in a residential neighborhood south of Main Street. Intersections in that area are regulated with a combination of stop signs and yield signs.