A 72-year-old Georgia man is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly using his SUV to intimidate and strike a group of cyclists on a rural road outside of Atlanta.
According to WSB-TV, Jerry Ross of Woodstock was arrested following a Thursday incident on Sugar Pike Road in southeastern Cherokee County. He faces two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving, and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. Ross was booked into Cherokee County jail with no bond.
Cell phone video captured a Honda Pilot passing dangerously close to the cycling group with its horn blaring, despite having a clear opposite lane available. The footage also captured the license plate, which led deputies directly to Ross.
According to the sheriff’s incident report, Ross admitted he was frustrated with the cyclists, had repeatedly called 911 on them, and believed it was unreasonable for them to occupy a full lane. The report also notes that when confronted with evidence, Ross refused to view the video, stating he believed he had done nothing wrong.
One cyclist was knocked off his bike and treated on the scene by paramedics. Another rider, Scott Hager, was hit but not seriously hurt.
“‘Even when you ride solo and not impeding any traffic, people are still super angry toward cyclists for some reason.” – Shaune Huysaman, ride organizer.
The ride was a 33-mile group outing organized by Shaune Huysaman, owner of Whitetail Bicycles and Coffee Company. He said he purposefully works to keep his groups under 25 riders to avoid impacting traffic and follows all applicable road rules.
Under Georgia law, cyclists are considered vehicles and have full legal right to use public roads. Motorists are required to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing. Every state has different laws for cyclists, but every person on the road is entitled to the lane width they need nationally, whether their on a bike or in a car.
