Phoenix police trying to solve fatal hit-and-runs involving bicyclists

This article originally appeared July 4, 2016.

Two bicyclists were killed by hit-and-run drivers on busy Phoenix streets. In our first case, 35-year-old Timothy Mannion was heading north on 35th Avenue just north of Indian School Road on April 24, 2016.

“It’s basically Saturday night,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Jamie Rothschild said. “It’s one or two o’clock in the morning, the bars are getting out and there’s a lot of traffic.”

Witnesses said as Mannion was crossing the road they saw a black truck with no headlights on. It struck Mannion but never stopped.

Mannion was wearing dark clothing, so, with no headlights, the truck’s driver probably didn’t see him and he didn’t see the truck.

Even though Mannion may have been crossing the street diagonally, Rothschild said, “The driver of the vehicle still has the responsibility and the duty to stop, check on the victim and report the accident.”