Call

Blog

Law
02

Blog

Car Has Been Found in South Carolina Hit-and-Run Bicycle Crash

On December 10th, 2016 Ben Burnett was knocked off his bicycle while riding in Greenwood, South Carolina, by a hit-and-run motorist. The efforts of one cyclist, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and local media have all led to the vehicle being found yesterday.

On December 10th, 2016, Ben Burnett was knocked off his bicycle while riding in Greenwood, South Carolina, by a hit-and-run motorist. The vehicle left behind an important clue to the investigation, a side mirror. This side mirror had a part sticker on it that helped lead the SC Highway Patrol to identifying the type of vehicle for the community to be on a look out for, a 2005-09 Pontiac G6 in an unknown color.

A local cyclist and friend of Ben’s sister took it upon herself to contact local media stations to spread the word of Ben’s hit-and-run bicycle crash, and to help find the vehicle. First picked up by WYFF 4 in Greenwood, SC, and then by Fox Carolina and the Index-Journal paper, the information spread wide and the community got involved. Emerald City Bikes, a local Greenwood bicycle shop, replaced Burnett’s totaled bike and helped continue to push the news around the area.  We got involved as Ben’s South Carolina bicycle accident attorneys and communicated with the Highway Patrol.

This week there was a large break in the case when the South Carolina Highway Patrol working with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division found the vehicle with damage to the front light, and a missing right mirror.

Ben is in good spirits, and we are all thankful for the cyclist that pushed the media to pick up this story, the hard work of the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and our local cycling community supporting Ben through this hit and run bicycle crash. The investigation is ongoing and we will continue to give updates as we have them.

Photo Credit: Emerald City Bikes

Comments

E-BIKE LAWS. ARE THEY LEGAL?
Ann Groninger Apr 04, 2024

Love them or hate them, e-bikes continue to rise in popularity. At the same time, lawmakers struggle to keep up with the developing technologies. Every week I get multiple inquiries from people trying to navigate North Carolina’s e-bike laws. If you’re confused, you’re not alone.  We could easily fill a book with all the latest […]

Read More
Ann Groninger Jan 04, 2024

Many of our cycling clients find themselves having to interact with the criminal justice system. Typically, it’s because the driver who hits them (or their family member) is charged with a crime or traffic offense. Occasionally bicyclists themselves are charged with traffic offenses! Every state’s criminal laws are different, but there is a lot of […]

Read More
Bike Crash Road Defect Georgia
Peter Wilborn Jun 14, 2023

We recently shared the story of a trial victory from the State of Texas where a bicyclist was injured due to a defect in a road maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas Road Defect   We now can tell the story of another huge win in a road defect case, this time from […]

Read More
Road defect dangerous to cyclists
Charlie Thomas Mar 14, 2023

Recently, attorneys with the Bike Law network took a case to a trial against a titan of a defendant: the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT was represented by the Attorney General’s Office, one of Texas’ largest legal teams. We had a great client, but it was a tough case to prove. So tough, in fact, […]

Read More
bike path charlotte
Ann Groninger Jan 13, 2023

  2023 got off to a rough start for Charlotte, North Carolina, particularly in the context of road safety. Within about a week, we lost a young woman who was riding her bicycle, a pedestrian killed in the same area of town, and four people were killed in a car wreck on I-85 in the […]

Read More
North Carolina Bike Crash
Ann Groninger Dec 06, 2022

Unless you’re a very recent follower of ours, you’ve heard us talk before about “contributory negligence.” To recap: “pure contributory negligence” is the law in North Carolina and only 3 other states (Alabama, Virginia, Maryland). In pure contributory negligence states, if a person is injured by someone else’s fault and the injured person contributes even […]

Read More
Is It Illegal to Ride Your Bike on the Sidewalk bikelaw
Peter Wilborn Aug 01, 2022

The laws dictating whether you can ride your bike on the sidewalk differ depending where you live. Different states have different laws on this matter, and local ordinances also vary. Let’s take a look at the legal framework behind various state laws related to cycling on sidewalks. The laws of sidewalk-riding can be very complicated […]

Read More
Ebike crash
Bruce Hagen Apr 26, 2022

DRIVER ON METH KILLS 17 YEAR OLD BICYCLIST, BARROW COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY REFUSES TO CHARGE DRIVER WITH FELONY.   On August 23, 2020, at approximately 8:40pm, 17-year old Obianuju Osuegbu was on her way home from her summer job working at a grocery store. She had earned enough money that summer to buy herself a […]

Read More
Stop as Yield
Brian Weiss Apr 25, 2022

Finally, “Stop As Yield” (the much sought after common sense traffic law for bicyclists) is coming to Colorado in 2022, likely July 1st.   Stop as Yield, aka the “Safety Stop” After the Governor Polis signs the law and the Safety Stop becomes effective, anyone who rides a bicycle or scooter on public roads will […]

Read More
Load More