How to stay safe while cycling along roads as investigation into hit and run continues

ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Highway Patrol continues its investigation into a hit and run that left a cyclist with serious injuries.

Cyclist George Saunders was riding along Highway 210 near Mooretown Road in Rocky Point when he was hit Friday night. 

Eileen McConville is the outreach coordinator for Cape Fear Cyclists, which Saunders was a part of. 

She said along with wearing a helmet and having reflectors on your bike, there is one other thing riders must follow when riding along a road. 

“You never ride a bicycle against traffic because then you and your car would come up against each other very, very fast,” McConville said. “A car wouldn’t have the chance to see you. But if you’re riding along the shoulder of the road and a car is coming up behind you, that car, if they’re paying attention, should have ample time to see there’s a cyclist in the road.”

Mcconville said Highway 210 is a very popular road for cyclists to ride along, but that the county has realized that it needs to be safer for cyclists to use. 

“And the Pender County Commissioners, just this past December, adopted it’s first very bicycle-pedestrian plan so we’re very thankful that they saw that that is important. And Highway 210, especially near Rocky Point was one of the sections that we highlighted as a section needing, minimally, a bike lane.” 

Saunders is currently in critical condition at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center with a broken neck, back, and left leg.