Carroll Co. cyclist killed after collision with truck
Charges pending against driver who police say failed to yield
By Liz F. Kay, The Baltimore Sun
A Carroll County cyclist was killed Tuesday afternoon after he was struck by a tractor-trailer while riding in Union Bridge, according to Maryland State Police – the latest cycling fatality on Baltimore-area roads.
Arthur John Martin Jr., 51, of New Windsor was riding his bike on Shepherds Mill Road when a tractor-trailer driven by Anthony Edward Woodie, 37, made a right turn onto Route 75 in front of him, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Based on preliminary investigation, troopers say that Woodie failed to yield to Martin when turning, but do not believe alcohol or high speeds were a factor.
Charges are pending against the truck driver.
Since 1999, an average of eight people have been killed in Maryland annually in bicycle accidents, according to the State Highway Administration.
Earlier this year, one cyclist was killed and another severley injured when they were struck by a car while riding near Butler and Falls roads in Baltimore County.
That accident helped spur the General Assembly to pass a new law clarifying the rights of bicyclists to use travel lanes instead of just the shoulders of roads. The law requires drivers to maintain a 3-foot buffer zone while passing a bicyclist.