Bicyclist Hit by Motorist – 3rd Update

Lt. Chuck Ney of the Los Alamos Police Department met at noon today with the driver of the mini van that hit a bicyclist from behind on West Jemez Road near TA-16 in the afternoon of June 29.

“His lawyer was present,” Ney said. “During the course of the interview, it came out that driver inattention may have been a factor. That driver inattention does not appear to be cell phone related.”

Police have not been able to interview the bicyclist because he was severely injured in the accident.

He remains in the hospital in Albuquerque.

The bicyclist is actually 58 years old rather than 62 as previously published.

The driver of the mini van is in his 50s as well, according to police.

“The bicyclist is still not in any condition to be interviewed,” Ney said. “Now that we’ve interviewed the mini van driver we’ll put our case report together with what we have and present it to the assistant district attorney for initial review.

LAPD Capt. Randy Foster explained in an earlier interview that because of the extent of the bicyclist’s injuries, the accident is not a simple case in which an officer would write a traffic ticket.

The case will be presented to the district attorney’s office, Foster said.

Further details will be posted here as soon as they become available.