Veteran charitable cyclist killed in bicycle-car crash
Hamilton Village, N.Y. – A veteran charity cyclist was killed in a bicycle-car crash on Lake Moraine Road in Hamilton on Thursday 28 May.
Becky A. Eisenhut, 61, from Madison County was struck from behind by a car that was traveling in the same direction. She was pronounced dead on the spot.
What we know so far
Around 11:36 a.m., the New York State police in Morrisville responded to a call of a woman riding a bicycle hit by a car The information available so far indicates that Eisenhut was riding southbound on her bicycle along Lake Moraine Road when she was struck by a 2016 Jeep Wrangler.
The Jeep driver, Delos J. Thurston, a 22-year-old from Whitesboro, was headed in the same direction when his vehicle crashed with the bicycle close to the intersection with Frederick Road. Thurston remained on the scene and was not injured in the incident.
Any Drug Influence?
The initial drug test and examination were done on the scene showed that there was no drug or alcohol impairment. According to the state police, the driver was thoroughly examined by a drug recognition expert and no signs of alcohol or drug-induced impairment was found or noticed.
Further investigations are still going on as the crash investigation experts were on the ground. The village of Hamilton Police Department and the Troop D Collision Reconstruction Unit assisted the New York State police at the accident scene.
Riding for a worthy cause
Jubilant Radiant… Friends have described her as a cheerful woman || lite987
Becky Eisenhut was a long-serving active member and rider of the Ride for Missing Children initiative. She served in many roles including being a “Ride Shepherd”.
The Ride for Missing Children started as a small fundraising initiative by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCME) to raise awareness of children who go missing. It has grown over the years holding “rides” that attract hundreds of participants.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's efforts’, has seen more than 8,700 children being recovered and helped from dangerous situations. The community of fellow riders has expressed great sorrow for the loss of Becky. A friend of Becky was quoted by lite987.com saying Eisenhut was a very cautious rider.
"Becky was a tremendous person and a very cautious rider. She was all about safety," said Mary Lynn Paniccia.
New York State National Statistics
Crashes involving bicyclists have been increasing nationwide with efforts being made to raise awareness to all road users. Latest National and State Bicycle Crash Data information available on the State of New York DMV website indicates that over 6,070 crashes involving bicyclists and motor vehicles occurred in 2011.
A total of 5,819 crashes were reported to the police. Of the 57 fatal crashes recorded that year, all the deceased were bicyclists only. The information indicates that crashes between bicycles and motorcycles are happening frequently. Failure to yield right of way and drivers’ inattention or distraction were the major factors contributing to the accidents. They contributed to more than 2,480 crashes.