According to a report on WRAL.com, a woman driving a 4-door, light brown Honda Accord crashed into a bicyclist in Fuquay-Varina. She stopped to ask “Are you okay?” but sped off without waiting around for an answer.
The bicyclist, Joe Natale, was thrown into a ditch by the impact. He was banged up and bruised, but lived to tell the story.
“The sound was horrific. I remember sliding and hearing plastic from the bike getting torn up,” he said. “I said, ‘God, don’t let somebody else run over me.'”
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol are actively looking for the driver, and anyone who knows anything about the accident is encouraged to contact the police. One important clue: The crash broke the sideview mirror off the woman’s car.
Sharing the Road
There Mr. Natale is hoping that his pain can serve to remind drivers of the rules of the road. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) has “Share the Road” rules designed to keep cyclists safe.
Motor vehicle drivers are reminded to:
- Use signals to make sure cyclists and other drivers can anticipate movements.
- Leave a minimum of 2 feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist on the left, and don’t move back to the right until safely past the bicycle.
- Not pass on the crest of a hill or at a curve in the road where you cannot see at least 500 feet ahead.
- Wait until the cyclist has cleared the intersection before making a turn, and don’t make a right turn in front of a cyclist you have just passed.
- Slow down when passing a cyclist, and try not to make any startling sounds or movements.
- If there is oncoming traffic, wait until the traffic has gone by before passing the cyclist.
- When approaching an oncoming cyclist at night, dim your lights.
Bicyclists are reminded to:
- Follow all the same rules of the road as motorists, including riding on the right side of the road.
- Use signals to warn motorists of your movements.
- Yield to other drivers and pedestrians, as appropriate, at intersections, alleys, and traffic circles.
- Move to the right to allow lawfully operated overtaking vehicles to safely pass.
- Remain aware of your surroundings, and try not to make any sudden or unexpected movements.
To read the full WRAL.com article about the hit-and-run crash, click here: Wake Bicyclist Urges Driver Who Hit Him to Come Forward
To read the NC-DOT rules of the road for motor vehicle operators and cyclists, click here: Share the Road
HensonFuerst has a particular interest keeping cyclists safe: We’re cyclists ourselves. We even have a HensonFuerst Cycling Team, which rides for fun and participates in fundraising efforts for various organizations, including the American Diabetes Association (the Tour de Cure) and the Brain Injury Association of NC (the Ride for the Rock). Plus, we represent too many cyclists who have been injured as the result of negligent motorists. We urge everyone–cyclists and motorists–to Share the Road for safety.
For more information about HensonFuerst and our cycling team, visit our website at www.hensonfuerst.com. If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answers.
