Hit-and-run crash sends Chapel Hill bicyclist to hospital Wednesday morning

Chapel Hill police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that sent a bicyclist to the hospital early Wednesday morning.

A preliminary investigation found a driver struck the bicyclist, who was traveling south on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Municipal Drive, just before 6 a.m.

The driver left the scene of the crash, according to a town new release.

The bicyclist, whose name was not released, was treated at UNC Hospitals and discharged.

The News & Observer has asked the town’s public safety spokesperson for more information.

Wednesday’s collision is the latest in a series of incident involving drivers and bicyclists in Chapel Hill.

Fatal January crash

Last month 43-year-old Nicholas Watson died from his injuries after a driver opened a car door as he was riding on Franklin Street in January. Watson’s organs were donated to people in need, according to the CaringBridge website, a blog for friends and family. Several of his organs were donated to people in need, the post noted.

The driver, who had pulled into a parking spot, was not charged, but the incident has sparked a petition calling for a local “dooring” law to prohibit drivers from opening their doors in the path of a person on a bicycle.

Anyone with information on Wednesday’s collision is asked to call 911 or contact the Chapel Hill Police Department at 919-968-2760. Callers who want to remain anonymous can call Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC Crimestoppers at 919-942-7515.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Hit-and-run crash sends Chapel Hill bicyclist to hospital Wednesday morning."