Update: Motorist Driving SUV Strikes, Kills Bicyclist on 199

Update: Motorist Driving SUV Strikes, Kills Bicyclist on 199

By WYDaily Staff Thursday, February 24, 2011

James City County police have identified the bicyclist killed last night on Route 199 after he was struck just after 10 p.m. by a motorist driving an SUV.

James City County police spokesman Maj. Steve Rubino said the dead man is 31-year-old Carlos Elmer Martinez Hernandez, of Williamsburg. Rubino said Hernandez was riding a bicycle eastbound on the westbound side of Route 199 about 800 feet east of John Tyler Highway when he attempted to cross the road towards the median and was struck by a westbound 2002 Chevy Tahoe SUV driven by a Williamsburg man.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Rubino said, and no one was injured in the SUV.

Westbound traffic on Route 199 was shut down for approximately four hours between John Tyler Highway and Jamestown Road, as police canvassed the area for witnesses to the accident.

A preliminary investigation showed the bicyclist did not have a light on his bicycle and was not wearing either a helmet or reflective clothing. Rubino said alcohol is believed to be a factor for the bicyclist.

The accident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed against the driver, Rubino said.

Comments

0 #15 Guest 2011-02-25 11:24

Ahhhhh The dreaded SUV!!! Really? What difference does it make what kind of vehicle was being driven?!? No more than it matters what brand/type of bike was involved. Car meets bike, bike rider loses. period. This was clearly the rider's fault. Sad, but simple. Be careful when you cross the street. I learned that when I was about 5! Nobody said "look both ways for the evil SUVs before you cross the street" Lets all have a moment of silence for the passing of our friend, Common Sense!

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+1 #14 Guest 2011-02-25 10:48

Naturally, I'm very sorry for the bicyclist, but my heart goes out to the driver of the SUV too. Living by the college, where there are bicyclists aplenty, bicycle safety isn't something they always practice and our driving skills are often put to the test. I wish the city would enforce bicycle saftey measures, like helmuts and riding with the traffic.

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0 #13 Guest 2011-02-25 10:07

Several rules/laws were violated:
1. 199 does not allow bicycling except to cross 199.
2. Should always cross road at intersection or designated bike crosswalk (such as on Route 5 for Capital Trail).
3. Should always ride bike with traffic...not against traffic
4. Wear helmet (all the time), lights (night), and reflective gear (all the time).
5. Never Bike Under the Influence

With the large number of foreign (non or poor English speaking) bicyclist in the area, maybe a multilingual bicycle "rules of the road" booklet, should be available at convenience stores, grocery stores, and other frequented establishments.

My heart goes out to the SUV driver and family, as well as, all the other bicyclist in the area who religiously follow the "rules of the road." Please do not let this situation be your guideline for judgement of all bicyclist. This accident is another reason why we need more designated bike trails/paths such as the Capital Trail to keep bikers and motorist separated and safer.

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-1 #12 Guest 2011-02-25 09:41

I agree that reflective vest would be great, I disagree that we need to make them mandatory. People need to take responsibility for their own safety or- suffer the consequences. It's sad that an innocent driver also will suffer this burden.
@concerned - Cyclist commits suicide while under the influence - cause driver to wreck SUV

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+2 #11 Guest 2011-02-25 08:34

Kbar is so correct.
In summary, let's focus on PREVENTION not condemnation

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+2 #10 Guest 2011-02-25 08:20

It wasn't on a ramp on 199....it was near Bloom's.

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+10 #9 Guest 2011-02-24 15:08

KBAR has a thoughtful and easy help-solution. Where would a group go to make and/or distribute reflective vests? I for one would be open to providing some reflective vests. Probably some of my friends would also.

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+6 #8 Guest 2011-02-24 14:36

There are signs saying no pedestrians, bicycles, etc. on the on ramps to 199.

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+13 #7 Guest 2011-02-24 13:55

Normally I tend to think we should just make common sense mandatory and let life punish those without it. It usually will regardless of the rules you make. But sometimes the drunk invisible bicyclist dents our SUV, ruins our day and his entire family and friends lives.

We should require and enforce nighttime riders to be visible and not allow riders on dangerous roads like 199. It's not our job to light every dark road and outfit every person with the latest safety equipment. Sure that would be a nice thing to do and worthy service but all I read here were those volunteering someone else to donate safety equipment. If you think it should be done, do it yourself.

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+3 #6 Guest 2011-02-24 13:26

Reminds me of the recent bike event on Newman road. Very very dangerous activity to be engaged in.

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