Source: A 71-year-old Taylorville man died Thursday morning after the bicycle he was riding on Illinois 104 west of Auburn was struck from behind by a car. The name of the bicyclist was not immediately released. Illinois State Police reported the bicyclist was traveling west on the shoulder of Illinois 104, about 0.2 miles east of Hunley Road, at 8:42 a.m. when he was struck by a car driven by Willem D. Cohen, 22, of Pawnee. Police said the car "drifted onto the westbound shoulder." The bicyclist, who landed on the hood of the car, was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, where he died. The investigation into the crash continues, and charges are pending, police said.
Collision Data
Crash time: between 6 a.m. and 8:59 a.m.
Closest Intersection: Hunley Rd
Land use: Rural
Road type: Rural Arterial
Where on the road the collision happened: Shoulder
Collision type: Rear-end
Driver Data
Vehicle type: Automobile
If truck: Unknown
At crash time driver was: Operating the Vehicle in Careless or Inattentive Manner
Sources
Source: News ReportType: Newspaper
Pos/Neg: Neutral
Link if Website: http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x871170363/Taylorville-bicyclist-71-killed-in-crash-near-Auburn
This cyclist is a part of our long distance cycling group. Even at his age, he rode more miles a year than any of the rest of the group. We are all inspired and motivated by him. A great person, I’m am glad I got the chance to know him.
Grover dipped his bicycle in the Pacific Ocean and rode across America to the Atlantic Ocean and dipped his bicycle again. He did this on one long trip. Bicycle riding was his passion. He will be missed.
I knew Grover and did some rides with him in the past. He was a very quiet, but determined individual.
The latest news is that the driver was cited for improper lane usage and no other charges are expected.
I would like to see the judge sentence him to some community service where he has to talk to other young people about the hazards of inattentive driving. Maybe that way, some future good can come out of this tragedy.
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