Car hits cyclist in Lynchburg

By Dave Thompson
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: June 24, 2008

A wreck between a bicycle and a sedan sent a Lynchburg man to the hospital Tuesday night.

According to Lynchburg police, 43-year-old Steve Coats was riding his Mongoose bicycle west on Rivermont Avenue, near its intersection with Belvedere Street, at 7:38 p.m.

He was struck by a Toyota driven by 20-year-old Kandis Banks, of Madison Heights, also traveling west.

Coats was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition late Tuesday night.

Banks did not sustain any injuries in the crash, though the bicycle smashed her windshield.

Azell Slaughter, a friend of Coats, said he saw the bicyclist just before the accident, and waved to him just before Slaughter lost sight of the bike.

Slaughter and a friend heard the impact seconds later and rushed to the scene.

“He was unconscious at least for a few minutes, face down, you know,” said Slaughter.

Another bystander, he said, called 911, and police responded shortly after.

Slaughter said Coats was conscious by the time he was taken to the hospital, but was not very coherent.

Rivermont Avenue was blocked between West Princeton Circle and Belvedere until after 9:30 p.m.

Police redirected traffic through nearby streets as they surveyed the scene, reconstructing the accident.

Officer Ronnie Sitler said no charges have been filed in the incident, but charges are pending.

Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to call the Lynchburg Police Department’s Traffic Safety unit at 455-6047 or Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at (888) 798-5900.