Police have identified the cyclist killed on Hwy 1 early Wednesday as 50-year-old Chilliwack resident Rock Wallace Hudson.
Today was Hudson's birthday, police said.
He was riding down the middle of Hwy 1 at about 2:20 a.m. on a bike without lights, wearing dark clothing and no helmet when he was struck by a Ford van just west of the Evans Road overpass.
"It was a recipe for disaster," said Staff Sgt. Bob Reed at the RCMP's Fraser Valley Traffic Services.
An autopsy will reveal whether alcohol was a contributing factor to the tragic accident.
RCMP Sgt. Peter Thiessen said a call to 911 from "numerous motorists and truckers" who took evasive action to avoid hitting the cyclist before the crash, could have saved Hudson's life.
"Had motorists called 911 to report seeing the cyclist in the centre of the roadway and having to take evasive action, this accident may have been avoided," he said.
A 58-year-old Chilliwack man was driving the 2001 Ford van that finally struck Hudson.
Anyone who witnessed the accident and has not spoken to police already is asked to call Const. Gaetan Parr at 702-4039.