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Bike stolen after cyclist killed in hit and run

Police in Indiana said second motorist stopped minutes after fatal collision and drove off with victim's bike...

Police in Indiana, USA, have said that a bicycle was stolen from the victim of a hit and run incident minutes after the fatal collision.

Nicholas James Mruk, aged 24, had been riding on Hand Road, northwest of Fort Wayne, shortly before 8pm on the evening of Monday 31 October when he was struck by an unidentified vehicle, with the motorist failing to stop.

The Allen County Sheriff’s Department said that officers and medical staff were called but found the cyclist dead at the scene.

Witnesses told police that before their arrival, the driver of a second vehicle, possibly a dark-coloured minivan, had stopped, and that the victim’s bike was taken.

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the drive and vehicle involved in the original collision, or the second vehicle, to get in touch immediately.

While not mentioned in the police report, it is possible that the bicycle could provide vital clues to the vehicle involved in the fatal crash, for example through paint fragments left on the frame.

A coroner’s report following an autopsy said that Mr Mruk died due to “blunt force trauma due to motor vehicle crash” and gave the manner of death as “accident.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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Jimmy Ray Will | 8 years ago
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Pa... you have no faith in humanity.

I'd doubt anyone would opportunistically stop and steal a bike... this was absolutely connected to the first accident. 

I think its positive that people are actively working to save themselves from prosecution.

Love the USA! 

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SNS1938 replied to Jimmy Ray Will | 8 years ago
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Jimmy Ray Will wrote:

Pa... you have no faith in humanity.

I'd doubt anyone would opportunistically stop and steal a bike... this was absolutely connected to the first accident. 

I think its positive that people are actively working to save themselves from prosecution.

Love the USA! 

 

If you go to most places in the world and leave anything unattended, there is the mentality that it is 'free' for the taking. To physcially rip someones iPhone out of their hand, well that's theft. If the person leaves it on their table at starbucks and goes to the bathroom, that's theft ... but they kind of deserved it. If someone leaves their iPhone on a train, then you're just lucky and got yourself a free iPhone. We do not respect other peoples property rights unless they are actively protecting them.

 

So in this case, my optimistic self says that the second driver didn't realise that the bike belonged to the victim, and thought maybe it came off a car rack or was discarded on the road as it was all damaged. Sort of like a curb side collection deal. My pesimistic self says that the 2nd car saw a cyclist on the road being attended to by people, and thought that the bike was up for grabs, as the rider was not holding onto it.

 

Really though, a year of community service picking up road side trash is in order for the driver of the second car, and a few years in jail for the first driver for hitting someone (irregardless of who's fault it was) and leaving the scence of the accident.

 

 

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Yorkshire wallet | 8 years ago
0 likes

We seem to have reached Mad Max society levels already.

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tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
0 likes

Just don't know what to say. Reckon there's a whole genetic line needs deleted there.

 

Remember these scum?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/video/2011/aug/09/rioters-steal-injured-b...

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mingmong | 8 years ago
1 like

SCUM

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Matt_S | 8 years ago
1 like

Making Muurika Grate, Again.

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