A South Carolina man was charged with reckless homicide this week after one of the five bicyclists he struck with his SUV back in October died on Sunday.
Dr. Matthew Burke (left), 38, an Army orthopedic surgeon stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, suffered severe head trauma in the crash. He leaves behind a wife and 11-month-old daughter.
The case raised a lot of interest in the Augusta area and sparked a stream of comments to the local newspaper. There are arguments over whether cyclists have a right to use the roads (they do), to warnings that Georgia bicyclists should stay off of South Carolina roads.
“Grossly negligent”
Burke and about 15 others had bicycled over to South Carolina for an evening ride when an SUV driven by Daniel Johnson, 41, of Beech Island, ran into five cyclists in the group. Johnson later told police that he had reached down to pick up something and hadn't seen the cyclists, who were wearing reflective gear, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
The driver faces a possible maximum 10 years in prison and mandatory revocation of his driver's license for five years. The arrest warrant issued this week said Johnson's driving was “grossly negligent.”
Some cyclists interviewed for a story in the Chronicle said they are still reluctant to get back on the road and often think about the crash and anti-bicyclist comments made by local drivers.
Cycling coalition
Following Johnson's arrest on Tuesday, Rachael Kefalos, executive director of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, said the club was grateful to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and Solicitor Strom Thurmon Jr. to see that justice was served. She wrote:
“We work for the day South Carolina roads are truly safe for cyclists. The hard work of the South Carolina
Highway Patrol in this case is getting us closer to reaching that goal. Cycling's time has come, and South Carolina will be a wonderful place to ride.“Bicycling is a still a safe and fun activity that is beneficial for communities, individuals, and businesses across South Carolina. As a state we have some of the best bike laws in the country, and we need to uphold these laws and continue to ride our bicycles for all the good that they bring.”
Bond for Johnson was set at $50,000.
Eleven bicyclists died on South Carolina roads in 2009, the most recent figures available. A total 630 cyclists died on the nation's highways that year.
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