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Bike Houston Executive Director Michael Payne (left) presents a check to Houston Crimestoppers to help with their reward fund, as police look for suspects in two hit-and-run accidents involving cyclists.
As the city of Houston works to improve bike safety, police are still trying to solve a couple of hit and run accidents involving cyclists
Mayor Annise Parker says she’s appealing for information.
“When there is an accident between a vehicle, a motorized vehicle and a bicycle, the bicycle always loses.”
The first accident happened January 13 in the East End, on Harrisburg over Brays Bayou. A cyclist was killed when he was thrown over the bridge railing.
The second crash happened March 16 on the U.S. 290 feeder road at Flintlock. A cyclist was left seriously hurt. He says he didn’t even see the vehicle that hit him.
Crimestoppers Executive Director Rania Mankarious says these kinds of accidents pose challenges for police investigators.
“There is no one on the scene other than a cyclist who is left gravely injured or dead.”
It was a Crimestoppers tip that led to an arrest in the case of Chelsea Norman. She was struck and killed last December on Waugh Drive as she biked home from work. Mankarious hopes the offer of a $5000 reward will also lead to tips in the most recent cases.
Bike Houston Executive Director Michael Payne says prosecutions are essential as Houston works to reach its goal of zero cycling fatalities, but he says a lot of work remains to be done considering Houston has at least nine bike fatalities so far this year.
