Diaz-Torres was struck by a white van around 6 a.m. Tuesday. Emergency crews responded and he was transported by medical helicopter to Alexian Brothers Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"When the weather was nice he would ride his bike to work so he could leave his wife the car," said friend Joanie Recchia. "I just feel terrible, she's got two babies to raise on her own now."
Diaz worked at a nearby manufacturing company for about three years. When he didn't arrive for his 6:30 a.m. shift his boss, Larry Abbate, said he knew something was wrong.
"He was a very loyal and dedicated man," Abbate said. "The guys asked me today if I'd seen him, and I started making some phone calls and found out what had happened."
Police have not yet determined who was at fault for the accident, saying only that it happened when the driver was turning left off Rosemont Road onto Roselle Road. The busy intersection was blocked for several hours as authorities reconstructed the crash.
"As of right now, we can say there were no alcohol or drugs involved with the driver of the van," said Sgt. John Lawson of the Roselle Police Department.
