Cyclists injured by reckless motorists

The injury of two Midwest cyclists caused by reckless and/or malicious motorists made headlines recently.

In Madison, Wisconsin, on May 31, a 23-year-old female cyclist suffered severe injuries to her lower body when the driver of an SUV hit her and then dragged her for some distance on Whitney Way, just off the west Beltline Highway.

According to the police report, the driver didn't stop until a Roto-Rooter truck blocked her path. When she then realized the bicyclist was under the truck, she maneuvered around the truck, turned onto Odana Road, hit a parked car and sped away.

Madison police recovered the Dodge Durango involved in a hit-and-run but the search for the driver continues, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

On June 5 in rural Marion Township southwest of Saginaw, Michigan, a 50-year-old male cyclist was struck in the side of the face by a full, unopened can of beer thrown from a passing car, The Argus-Press reported.

The Laingsburg, Michgan, man was finishing a 100-mile ride when the incident occurred. A spokesman for the Saginaw County Sheriff's Office said the can burst open when it struck the man, who received bruises but declined medical treatment. The man was wearing a helmet.

The newspaper said the man described the car as a dark colored, late 1980s hatchback with an approximately 2-foot diameter Monster Energy drink decal in the rear window. Investigators retrieved the beer can and planned to send it to the Michigan State Police crime lab to be tested for DNA and/or fingerprints. A $1,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.