TRURO — Thomas Hurley, 63, of East Falmouth was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and negligent operation of a motor vehicle on July 12 following a collision with a cyclist on Route 6. He received a criminal citation and was taken to the Orleans District court, according to the police report.
Earlier that morning, at 3:32 a.m., passerby Benjamin Landry of Eastham saw a woman waving for help from the side of the road and called the Truro police. Sgt. James Bragdon responded and found Patricia Byers, 37, on the ground, her belongings scattered, and her bike clearly damaged, according to the police report.
Byers, who lives in Truro, had been hit by a car near Hillside Farm on Route 6 while riding her e-bike southbound in the breakdown lane.
Truro Fire and Rescue brought Byers to Cape Cod Hospital after she told EMTs that her arm and back were injured. She was wearing a helmet, Bragdon’s report stated.
Apparently, Hurley’s car hit Byers from behind. The car’s license plate was dislodged and left at the scene of the accident, and police tracked the number to Hurley. They sent out a Capewide BOLO (Be on the Lookout). Orleans police found the car and Hurley at the Route 6 rotary and took Hurley into custody.
He was taken to the Truro Police station for booking, during which, according to Sgt. Bragdon’s report, Hurley admitted to hitting Byers and said he regretted not stopping to check on her. He was not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The accident happened on a stretch of Route 6 that does not have a bike lane. It is possible to avoid that section of the highway by taking back roads, but that is much less efficient than staying on the highway. The Independent reported on July 7 that the lack of bike infrastructure along Route 6 is a deterrent for many bikers, though many still commute via Route 6 despite the small shoulder along this stretch.
The Truro Bike and Walkways Committee and the Mass. Dept. of Transportation, as well as 87 percent of Truro residents who responded to a bike committee survey, are in favor of a separated bike path along Route 6 that would be designed to decrease the likelihood of accidents such as this one. But that improvement is unlikely to take place before the 2026 repaving of Route 6, according to committee chair Susan Roderick.
Hurley’s pretrial hearing will be held at Orleans District Court on Aug. 31.
