Cyclists and drivers don’t see eye to eye when it comes to sharing the road. As cycling’s popularity keeps spreading into suburbs and out on country highways, that friction is only getting worse. You hear the same complaints every time as drivers grumble about cyclists slowing them down while cyclists insist they are obeying the law. Nobody ever seems to win these debates. Now, there’s a new case stirring up controversy in Cherokee County, Georgia, and this time, there’s video evidence.
On Thursday, ten cyclists were riding together on Sugar Pike Road when 72-year-old Jerry Wayne Ross from Woodstock came up behind them and honked his horn. He passed the group, sped up, and hit two cyclists before driving off.Â
Someone riding behind caught it all on camera and shared Ross’s license plate with deputies. They tracked him down at a nearby house and saw his car had damage on the passenger side, matching the crash.
Ross admitted he was there but blamed the cyclists for being on the road in the first place. None of the riders were seriously hurt and were checked out by paramedics on the scene.
Now, Ross faces charges for aggravated assault, hit-and-run, reckless and aggressive driving, plus not keeping a safe distance from a cyclist. He is in the Cherokee County Detention Center without bond.
Internet Reacts To Cherokee County, Georgia Cyclist Hit-and-Run
Online, the arrest didn’t generate much sympathy for the cyclists. If anything, most of the comments sided with Ross. “Cyclists need to stay to the far right side of the road, not ride three or four wide blocking an entire lane,” one person wrote, while another added, “Why cyclists are allowed on the road is still beyond me. They are a danger to society and a nuisance.” A third asked, “Why don’t the cyclists get charged with impeding traffic???”
Others pushed back, drawing a clear line between frustration and criminal behavior. “Cyclists are annoying — no denial — but in spite of what everyone thinks, they have 100% the exact same right to use the road as a car or truck. They are under zero obligation to move over for a car unless there is a bike lane,” one comment read. Another tried to split the difference without excusing the outcome: “Both groups are wrong. But you don’t get to run over humans for acting retarded. Otherwise, people would be getting mowed down constantly.”
One comment introduced a detail from the video itself: “That guy deserved to be arrested, but that bicyclist leaned into the SUV.”
Georgia law gives cyclists the right to use public roads, and drivers have to keep a safe distance when passing. Ross broke that rule, and that’s why he’s facing criminal charges.
