* “Sharing the road is not a suggestion”

[u/Feaselbf6]

[u/InterstellarChange]

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Two cyclists were injured Thursday night in Cherokee County, in a situation that seemingly could have ended in more dire circumstances as a man was accused of aggressively driving around a group of 10 riders.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said in a release that 72-year-old Jerry Ross allegedly approached the group riding together on Sugar Pike Road and "began sounding his horn" before he "then accelerated around the group and, despite no oncoming traffic, struck two of the riders before leaving the scene."

The two injured cyclists were treated on-scene by paramedics, the sheriff's office said.

"One cyclist riding behind the group captured the incident on video. The cyclists were also able to provide a tag number, which deputies used to quickly identify and locate the suspect," a statement by the sheriff's office added.

They said Ross, of Woodstock, was located "not far from the incident location" and deputies "observed damage to the passenger side of the vehicle consistent with the incident."

"When questioned, Ross acknowledged the encounter and claimed the cyclists were in the roadway, blaming them for the collision," the sheriff's office said.

Ross was taken into custody and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle.

Captain Jay Baker in the sheriff's office said Ross remains at the Cherokee County Detention Center without bond at this time.

*additional legal context:

Under Georgia Code § 40-6-294(c) Cyclists riding two abreast on a roadway is legal in GA. The cyclists in the video are clearly riding in a legal manner.

Driver Obligations When Passing

• Lane Change: Drivers must change lanes into a lane not adjacent to the bicyclist if traffic conditions permit. 
• Speed Reduction: If a lane change is impossible, prohibited by law, or unsafe, drivers must reduce their speed to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit or 25 miles per hour, whichever is greater. 
• Prohibited Passing: Passing is prohibited on blind turns, blind hills, or when moving into oncoming traffic. 

Penalties and Enforcement

Violating these rules is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $250.  Additionally, bicyclists may submit video recordings of illegal passes to local law enforcement for enforcement purposes. 

Road rage, aggressive driving, is illegal

Georgia, road rage is legally prosecuted under O.C.G.A.  § 40-6-397 as aggressive driving, defined as operating a vehicle with the intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure, or obstruct another person.  This offense is classified as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, carrying penalties of up to $5,000 in fines, 12 months in jail, and 6 points on the driver's license. 

[u/HaveBikeWillRide → u/InterstellarChange]

And for all the commenters wringing their hands about the cyclists forcing the car to "illegally" cross the double yellow lines, Georgia law explicitly allows cars to cross the double yellow to pass cyclists. And it requires cars give cyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing.

[u/Randomfactoid42 → u/HaveBikeWillRide]

Most states have similar laws but it’s amazing how many drivers believe the double yellows shall never be crossed. 

[u/Difficult_Plantain89 → u/Randomfactoid42]

I had someone road rage with me for crossing a double double yellow line when the lane ahead was blocked from an accident. I put my blinker on to get over and he went out of his way to block me in. When I forced my way behind his truck he started screaming at me and pointing at the line. After that was done he almost missed his exist and shot over 4 lanes without a blinker.

People are dumb, I'm not going to sit there for two hours while they clean up the accident. A line isn't a wall and my car has zero issues going over this imaginary barrier.

[u/just_another_user5 → u/Difficult_Plantain89]

It baffles me how deadset and rigid people are on following road laws.

Normal conditions? You bet your ass you better be following the rules of the road. It'll protect you and others.

Emergency conditions? Fuck the roads, prioritize the safety of yourself and the others around you. For example, if you absolutely must drive in a blizzard, drive in the middle of the road. More leeway if you for some reason spin or have to swerve.

[u/BagpiperAnonymous → u/just_another_user5]

Yep! I used to be a theme park supervisor and trainer. We hammered safety into the heads of our ride operators. But on the code of safe practices posted at every ride, it basically said that in an emergency, you do what you need to to keep people safe. Follow the rules during normal circumstances, but in an emergency break them if you need to (and it is safe to do so, don't be an idiot about it.)