While observers wonder how a motorist could have struck a bicyclist on a suburban Maryland road and driven home with the bicycle lodged under the SUV, the victim's mother is planning a candlelight vigil at the scene on Friday.
Natasha Pettigrew, 30, died late Monday night from injuries she suffered when she was struck from behind by a Cadillac Escalade while she was on a training ride at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Pettigrew was the Green Party candidate for the US Senate seat in Maryland.
Hit a deer?
The 41-year-old driver of the car told the Maryland State Police that she thought she hit an animal in the roadway. According to Greg Shipley, a Maryland State Police spokesman:
“She had driven to her home and called from her home. The initial indication was that she thought she may have hit a deer or an animal in the roadway. That’s the indication our troopers were given. When she arrived home and saw the bicycle, she assumed it was something else.”
News sources say the woman drove home at least 3 miles after the crash. A witness said she saw the smoke and sparks coming from underneath the SUV as it drove down the road. Police said the drugs and alcohol didn't appear to be a factor.
Mother's vigil
Pettigrew's mother, Kenniss Henry, is planning a candlelight vigil for her daughter at 6 p.m. Friday and inviting anyone to attend. Pettigrew was struck on Route 202 near Campus Way, in the vicinity of Prince Georges Community College.
Henry told the local ABC affiliate that she doubts that the motorist would face punishment, as hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter laws in Maryland are rather lenient. In vehicular manslaughter cases, for instance, prosecutors must prove gross negligence or intent to kill or maim to bring charges. Henry said:
“If you shoot someone and you kill them — what is the difference between taking a life that way and, you know, hitting somebody?”
Henry is asking for a thorough investigation.
Stronger laws
Her daughter had earned degrees in zoology and criminology at Ohio State University and had interrupted her law studies at the University of Miami to run for the US Senate. She also had served in Americorps for a year. She was training for a triathlon when she was struck by the car.
A lively discussion is going on at the metro Washington website TheWashCycle.com, where many can't understand how the driver did not see and did not stop to check what she had hit. The blogger located the crash scene on Streetviews.
It's long past time for stricter motor vehicle laws, especially where they apply to injuries and fatalities involving vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists.
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