Elderly Man Injured in Concord Hit-and-Run Crash

CONCORD, NH — The Concord Regional Crimeline has issued an alert asking the public for assistance in finding a reported hit-and-run driver that struck a bicyclist on North State Street near Swenson Granite on Saturday, according to an alert. The crash occurred at just after 11 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2016, with both officers and EMTs called to the scene to assist a 65-year-old man with minor injuries.

“The victim was alert and conscious and stated that he had been struck from behind by what appeared to be a maroon SUV or minivan,” according to Lt. Timothy O’Malley, the commander of the criminal investigations unit for the department. “The victim stated that he was riding southbound in the center of the bike lane, well outside of the vehicle lane, and was struck in the rear tire without warning. The victim stated that after hitting the ground, he looked up and saw the vehicle continue traveling southbound without stopping. The bicycle sustained heavy damage consistent with vehicle impact. The victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, which was also heavily damaged. The victim suffered multiple abrasions and complained of chest pain, but was not admitted to the hospital.”

A number of Good Samaritans stopped to assist the victim and corroborated his account of what happened. One witness that was driving behind the vehicle alleged that it was “noticeably drifting into the bike lane” before the accident. The vehicle then served left and that’s when the witness saw the bicyclist on the ground, according to O’Malley. A canvas of the area, looking for vehicles, was unsuccessful.

“It is not known if there were any contributing factors to the driver’s actions (i.e. distractions, health issues, texting, etc.),” O’Malley added. “The accident took place in broad daylight in dry conditions, with normal weekend traffic. By all accounts, the victim is an experienced bicyclist who was obeying all traffic laws and properly riding in the bicycle lane at the time he was struck.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 603-225-8600 or leave an anonymous tip with the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100 or online submit a tip at concordregionalcrimeline.com or Txt TIP234 to CRIMES (274637).

O’Malley noted that all drivers should “be aware of cyclists, runners, and pedestrians while operating on city streets” and while it is not known at this time if texting was involved, “we issue a general reminder to all drivers that it is illegal to use handheld devices while operating a vehicle.”