The vehicle has been located (the driver??)
Investigators say John Bushman, Sr., 47, was hit by a car while he was riding his bike along West Washington Street, at the intersection of Insurance Way.
After the accident, detectives said the car took off. As of Friday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office said the vehicle involved has been located.
And more
John William Bushman Sr. of Hagerstown was riding a bicycle west on West Washington Street at Insurance Way at 10:34 p.m. when he was struck and killed by a car that fled the scene, according to the sheriff's office.
Bushman was pronounced dead at the scene, a sheriff's office spokeswoman said.
The car involved in the hit-and-run was also westbound at the time of the accident, the sheriff's office said.
The release did not indicate where or when the car was found, or the name of the owner, or who might have been operating it at the time of the accident.
Why is it that many of the fatal cyclist accidents that I see in the media involve a hit and run driver?
Posted by: Jeffb | January 31, 2015 at 10:31 PM
I read an article last fall (in the Orlando Sentinel?) that incidents of motorists leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death to peds/cyclists is up 37% when compared to 2003.
Posted by: Kolo Jezdec | February 01, 2015 at 01:57 PM
I imagine it's due to the perceived legal risk from DWI, relative to leaving the scene, etc...if one gets caught at all. I have read that the closure rate on H&R isn't good.
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | February 01, 2015 at 05:02 PM
Jeffb, part of it is that I think the police go to the media with hit-and-run crashes because they're hoping for help finding the driver. So 100% of hit-and-run fatalities are reported, but only about 50% of all fatal bike crashes are covered. A little less than 20% of all fatal bike crashes are hit and run, and about half the time, the driver is never found.
But, there are probably about 200 people in the DC area right now who have killed someone with their car, left the scene and were never caught. Think about that for awhile.
Posted by: washcycle | February 01, 2015 at 10:39 PM
To be fair, it could be one guy that killed 200 people.
Posted by: Mike | February 02, 2015 at 07:48 AM
LOL.
Posted by: washcycle | February 02, 2015 at 09:37 AM
Might want to contemplate the supposedly humorous comments to a post about a cyclist killed by a driver who left the scene...
Posted by: Kolo Jezdec | February 02, 2015 at 07:43 PM
There is a long history of Gallows humor, and I tend to believe it's helpful. No one is making light of the victim.
Posted by: washcycle | February 02, 2015 at 08:15 PM
Dammit, I was hoping for something uplifting on my Monday. At least they got the car.
Posted by: SJE | February 02, 2015 at 08:36 PM
I'm glad dark humor is permitted here. I give the universe permission to laugh at demise, because "death with dignity" is an oxymoron.
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | February 03, 2015 at 08:13 AM
My demise, that is. Sorry
Posted by: Smedley Burkhart | February 03, 2015 at 08:13 AM