The Athens Herald-Banner: Police won’t charge nurse who hit cyclist
By JOE JOHNSON – Athens Banner-Herald
Published Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Athens-Clarke police don’t plan to bring charges against a local nurse who struck and killed a bicyclist Saturday morning while she was driving to work on Jefferson Road.
The nurse, who lives in Jackson County, was driving south when her van struck 21-year-old Shane Chapman about 6:30 a.m., police said.
Chapman also was pedaling south, well to the left of the fog line and in a travel lane when the van struck him from behind near Crescent Drive, according to police.
Chapman, who also lived in Jackson County, apparently was on his way to a plumbing job in Athens, police said.
Although the wreck happened just before dawn, Chapman wasn’t wearing reflective clothes or a helmet, according to police. His bicycle also did not have reflectors.
“I don’t foresee any citations at this point, but that’s not certain,” said Sgt. Von Anderson, an Athens-Clarke police Traffic Unit supervisor.
The nurse knew she had hit something, but didn’t realize it was a bicyclist until she went back to check, the officer said.
The nurse called 911, and Chapman died a short time later at the hospital, police said.
Another cyclist was injured Saturday afternoon, when a hit-and-run driver struck the back tire of a bike heading north on North Peter Street near Branch Street about 12:50 p.m.
The cyclist hit the curb and fell off his bike; he looked up and saw a black or dark blue SUV slow down, then speed away, police said.
The cyclist was treated for hand and chin injuries at an urgent care facility, according to the report.
Police on Monday continued to look for the driver.
