Thursday around 5PM, 52 year old Pete Davis was trying to ride across Locust at Oakland, and Denton police say he failed to yield to traffic and was struck by a white car. The driver of the white car hesitated briefly and then sped off, leaving Pete on the ground. According to Texas law, the driver committed a third-degree felony by fleeing the scene. Pete was transported to the hospital where he was treated.
Local church pastor Ross Appleton of C3 Denton explained that the car hit Pete’s back wheel, and paramedics said his backpack saved his life. Ross says Pete’s knee is severely hyperextended and he is in a lot of pain unable to walk. Pete had been homeless recently, but was on the upswing and working at a manual labor job, which may be impossible now.
Without anything to go on besides the car color, catching the assailant seems unlikely, but this story does send a message – if we hit someone, injure them, and fail to remain at the scene, it’s a 3rd degree felony.
If we hear anything else from the Denton PD, you’ll hear about it here.
pete! i’m so sorry you were hit! how are you healing? what can we cyclists do to support your recovery? do you need a ride to/from work now that your knee is busted up and your bike is broken??
I find stories of cyclists getting hit by cars so distressing, but hit-and-runs take this issue to a whole new level. How callous do you have to simply drive away when someone has taken such a terrific fall? My heart goes out to Pete.
Thanks for keeping us up to date on these incidents.