Bicyclist struck at Route 123 and South Run Oaks

Rt 123/South Run Oaks Dr intersection

A bicyclist received life-threatening injuries after being struck by a motorist in the Fairfax Station area. See the Patch article Bicyclist Struck by Car Sunday. The bicyclist was riding north on the trail parallel to Route 123/Ox Road.

According to one eyewitness who commented on the Patch article, as the cyclist was crossing South Run Oaks Dr, a motorist "was speeding in the left lane and, without signaling or braking, recklessly crossed over the right lane and into the bicyclist." Another eyewitness stated that "The bicyclist could not even anticipate being horrifically struck and thrown from his bike, as the SUV made an unpredicted and dangerous right turn, without signaling or braking, from the left northbound lane."

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital. No one has been charged in the crash. We're very concerned by the statement from police spokesman Don Gotthardt who said "The bicyclist didn't stop and the driver didn't see him," basically blaming the bicyclist and relieving the motorist of any fault. We assume the comment from the police was made after the eyewitnesses made their statements. According to the article, "No one has been charged in the collision, police said."

From the image it does not appear that there are stop signs on the trail. Even if there were, they would likely not be enforceable. There are white stripes that often indicate a stop bar on a road; not sure what they mean on this trail. Regardless, if the motorist was driving recklessly, there should be some accountability. However, Virginia is a contributory negligence state, one of only 4 such states which include Maryland, DC, and North Carolina.