Marble – A bicyclist was struck and killed by a vehicle on Airport Road late Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred on the westbound lane of the road in front of the Marble ambulance station at about 5 p.m. The N.C. Highway Patrol was on scene investigating the crash and not ready to release details by press time Tuesday.
The bicyclist was apparently riding along the westbound lane of the road approaching a bridge and choke point created by guard rails. The bicyclist was struck from behind. A setting sun may have been a factor.
Tire tracks marked during the Highway Patrol investigation show the westbound vehicle, a Jeep, veered to the far right edge of the road, crashed into the bicycle from behind and skidded to a stop in the middle of the two-lane road.
Medics were on scene immediately but could do nothing to save the bicyclist. Occupants of the vehicle involved remained at the scene and were questioned during the investigation.
Cherokee County Emergency Medical Technicians and Valleytown Fire & Rescue were also on scene. The road was closed to traffic for about two hours.
Monday’s incident was the second death of a bicyclist on Airport Road, a two-lane state road with no paved shoulders, in less than three months.
Retired dentist and Andrews resident Frank Mason, 82, was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike on Airport Road on Aug. 12, then died from his injuries on Aug. 18. Mason, an avid bicyclist, was riding his bike along Airport Road, just west of Webb Creek Road, when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Samantha Bristol of Walnut Cove Road in Andrews.
Bristol pulled over immediately after the incident and called 911.
“His tragic death is a reminder that all drivers need to keep our eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel,” according to a post on the Hiwassee Dam Fire Department Facebook page.