2 Bicyclists Hurt In Davidsonville Hit-And-Run Accident

DAVIDSONVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- Investigators are searching for the driver of an SUV who struck and hospitalized two women riding their bikes in Davidsonville this weekend.

Derek Valcourt has more on the accident and the search for the hit-and-run driver.

It's hard to imagine the driver didn't know he hit those two bikers. Police say it is possible, though not likely. They're now asking for the public's help to find him.

There is little to no shoulder on the Patuxent River bridge along Central Avenue in the Davidsonville area. That's where 62-year-old bicyclist Lynn Kristianson and her friend, 52-year-old Maile Neel were struck by a car as they were heading west.

"That vehicle kept going. That vehicle also brushed into bicyclist number two, who ultimately crashed into bicyclist number one while she was on the ground," said Lt. T.J. Smith, Anne Arundel County Police.

The two women were hospitalized. A pair of safety glasses, a bike pump and water bottle remained at the accident scene. Police say evidence recovered indicates the suspect's vehicle was a white or silver 95-2001 Honda CRV.

The driver is described as a white man about 50-60 years old with a gray mustache, wearing dark glasses.

The most recent accident at the bridge reignites the debate about bikes and cars sharing narrow roads in a county that's already experienced its share of accidents.

This summer, a collision with a car killed 50-year-old Annapolis High School assistant track coach Patricia Cunningham as she rode her bike through an intersection.

"It's scary and it seems to be happening more often," said cyclist Ken Heeler.

Heeler points out drivers in Maryland are legally required to yield a car lane to cyclists. With warmer weather approaching, more cars and bikes will be sharing roads.

"That's a bad mix. They can't come within a foot or so of you. Otherwise, if you drift just a few inches, you could catch their mirror and go down," Heeler said.

"It's important that drivers are responsible and it's also important that bikers are responsible," Smith said.

Neel has been treated and released from the hospital. Kristianson remains in Shock Trauma but since Saturday, her condition has been upgraded from life threatening to serious.

Anyone with information on the accident or the driver involved is asked to call Anne Arundel County Police.

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