LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A hit-and-run that killed a Sherwood cyclist has sparked conversation on how to properly share the road.
59-year-old John Mundell was riding his bicycle last Thursday on Highway 107 in Sherwood when a driver crashed in him from behind. Police have no leads on how caused the crash and are asking for anyone to come forward.
"It seems that it's something that can be avoided and it's so tragic anytime it does happen," Chris St. Peter said.
Cyclists like Chris St. Peter share the road with thousands of drivers every single day.
"You definitely have to be aware. Any close call is a wake-up call," he said.
St. Peter said distracted driving is the biggest obstacle people on bikes face.
"From my vantage point as a cyclist looking at cars passing me, I'd say 75 percent are on their phones or playing with their phones and that's really disturbing," he said.
Cyclists have the right to ride on any road unless it is an interstate. Most people on bikes also tend to ride in the far right lane.
Yet, according to the Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas, 1 in four deaths in motor vehicle crashes involve people walking or biking.
"You can never do too much to be visible to cars. Blinking lights in front, blinking lights in back," St. Peter said.
And when approaching a stoplight, cyclists can actually treat them as yield signs.
"There is no sense in sitting at a stoplight you can't change because oftentimes the sensors don't pick up a lone cyclist or group of cyclists," Scott Warren said.
Scott Warren is a manager at The Meteor Bike Shop. He said legally, drivers must leave at least three feet of space when passing.
"Pass when it's safe and when you do pass leave plenty of room," he said.
Warren also says to be patient, especially when passing a group of people on bikes.
"Cyclists don't purposely try to block the traffic or anything like that. They want the flow of traffic to go on by. They don't want to hold cars up," Warren said.
One important note, when a driver leaves a crash where anyone is injured or killed, it is a crime and not an accident.
Sherwood police are still asking anyone with information about the Mundell crash, to contact them.