The new head of General Motors Powertrain Europe was killed on Sunday in a bicycle accident, a day before he was scheduled to assume his new duties, Automotive News Europe (ANE) reported.

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David Piper, aged 47, was struck by a car at about 1pm while he was riding his bicycle on a mountain road between Susa and Turin, the new headquarters of GM Powertrain Europe, GM reportedly said.


According to ANE, GM officials said they became alarmed when Piper failed to attend a Monday morning meeting and did not respond to calls to his mobile phone.


His wife, Debra, had called the Turin office from her Michigan home because she was unable to reach her husband on Sunday, the company reportedly said.


ANE added that La Stampa, a Turin newspaper, reported that Piper was not carrying identification when he was struck and killed. The newspaper reportedly quoted the driver of the vehicle as saying: “I do not know how it happened, but suddenly I lost control of my car, which went on a slide. I did not realise a bicyclist was coming the other way.”

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An emergency helicopter reached the scene within minutes, but too late to save Piper, whose body was found about 100 feet from the crash site, the newspaper said, according to ANE.


Automotive News Europe noted that GM named Piper vice president and general manager of GM Powertrain Europe on July 28 – he was scheduled to replace Greg Deveson, who will become president of Magna Powertrain’s North American operations from September 1.


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