An Asheville man has been charged in a crash that killed a bicyclist on Patton Avenue earlier this month.
Jason Dean Wyatt, 45, was on a bicycle traveling eastbound near the 870 block of Patton Avenue about 10:17 p.m. Nov. 11 when he was hit by a vehicle near the Interstate 240 interchange. The driver of the vehicle, who was uninjured, stayed at the scene.
Asheville police said Monday that Bernie Chan Rogers, 26, of Asheville, turned himself in on Tuesday, Nov. 22, for open charges of death by motor vehicle, failure to reduce speed and revoked driver's license. Rogers was released without bond and is set to appear in court on Dec. 8.
Asheville Police Lt. Ann Fowler said Rogers was driving his truck in the same direction Wyatt was riding his bicycle and did not see him.
Fowler said, when people are operating a bicycle, they should have a taillight and a headlight, especially after dark, so they’re easily visible.
In Wyatt’s case, lighting was not an issue.
“That roadway in particular was well-lit. Mr. Rogers should have seen Mr. Wyatt on his bicycle, but he was distracted at the time,” Fowler said.
She said it is the motorist's responsibility to pay attention to the roadway and slow down if there’s a person or object in the road.
Fowler said, unfortunately, the city does have a lot of collisions with bicyclists.
Two friends
Local chiropractor Donald Acton said Wyatt, an avid bicyclist, began visiting his office a few months ago.
“He didn’t ask for a handout, he asked if he could clean the bank next to the office,” Acton said.
Wyatt continued to clean the bank and stopped by the office almost every day.
He had been living in the woods across from the office for many years, Acton said. He said the crash happened less than 100 feet from where Wyatt lived.
Acton had bought Wyatt a cake for his birthday in October, and in return, Acton had told Wyatt his birthday was coming up.
The day before the crash, Wyatt stopped by the office to give Acton his birthday present.
“This is a great fishing lure man, I want you to have it. That was the last conversation,” Acton said.
Acton said his goal is to help more people like Wyatt.
“People that are looking to make a difference and work for it, we need to support those people,” Wyatt said.
Not an isolated incident
Asheville on Bikes executive director Mike Sule said Wyatt's death was a tragedy, but the crash is something his group is quite familiar with.
“It happens all too often in Asheville," Sule said. "It’s one of the reasons why we advocate for more complete, safer streets that work for all."
He said Asheville also has continued to rank No. 1 in pedestrian and cyclist collisions throughout the state.
Sule said that number increases during the winter months, when collisions are more frequent because of less lighting.
The group faces a lot of criticism from people who say all it wants is bike lanes.
Sule said what Asheville on Bikes is really doing is taking a larger view of the streets and pushing for safer roadways for everyone.
“So that motorists can move, cyclists can move, pedestrians can move safely,” Sule said.
He said the city needs better infrastructure for all mobility types. The question now is if people are willing to make the changes necessary for safer roads.