• 10
  • June
    2010

The shoulder of Cabarrus county's St. Stephen's Church Road became an impromptu trauma center on May 19, when a 15-person bicycle team was mowed down by a driver who then fled the scene. In what seems like a cruel twist of fate, the bicyclists were struck on the day set aside for the national "Ride of Silence," one devoted to honoring cyclists who have been killed or injured.

At least four of the bicyclists (whose names have not been released) were taken to local hospitals with unspecified injuries.

The driver allegedly responsible for the crash, Daniel Burton Wilson II, turned himself in to police shortly afterwards. The following day he was charged with six counts of felony-level hit-and-run in conjunction with the incident. No information has been made public about the cause of the crash, whether drugs or alcohol were involved, or if there was some other reason Wilson's car (heading in the opposite direction of the bikers at the time) swerved into them.

This incident highlights an all-too-common cause of summertime injuries in the Charlotte area and across North Carolina - drivers colliding with bicyclists.

The Rights and Responsibilities of Bicyclists

The laws of North Carolina classify bicycles as vehicles. Accordingly, bicyclists are held to many of the same standards as operators of other vehicles, and receive many of the same benefits. For example, they are free to ride on any non-Interstate/non-highway state road, provided they keep as far to the right as practicable, proceed in the same direction as traffic, obey all traffic signage and follow other basic traffic regulations. Basically, bicyclists are expected to ride "predictably and courteously" in an effort to avoid accidents and not interfere with the flow of traffic.

Nevertheless, the law understands the inherent imbalance of power between a motorist and a bicyclist. Since bicyclists are much more likely to be killed or injured in a crash, motorists need to be aware of them and make reasonable efforts to avoid collisions, being particularly vigilant if the bicyclist is a child. Motorists should only pass bicycles with due care, cannot follow them too closely and should yield to them at driveways, crosswalks and alleys.