Longmont Mayor Hits Cyclist With Car; Escapes Citation: Police

LONGMONT, CO -- Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley was not charged after hitting a cyclist identified by police as a transient on March 9, police said. The incident occurred on Third Avenue just west of Main Street after Bagley, identified by the Times-Call to be the driver, made a U-turn.

According to the police report, Bagley was traveling west on Third Avenue just west of Main Street. At an alley, he crossed the yellow line into the eastbound lanes while making a U-turn so he could park on the south side of the street.

The cyclist, identified as Edward Kneipher, 50, who police identified as "a transient", was riding his bicycle in the alley and was in the process of crossing Third Avenue to ride east when Bagley's front passanger-side bumper his his rear tire, police said.

Bagley told police he didn't see Kneipher, but altered his account of what happened multiple times, according to the police report. Longmont police didn't issue a citation, and the Boulder District Attorney's Office said Wednesday it lacked sufficient evidence to prove criminal charges, The Camera reported.

Nonetheless, local lawyer Megan Hottman, who specializes in legal aid for cyclists at Hottman, said she has handled several similar cases and the typical citation for this sort of a crash would be "'failed to yield right of way when turning left in front of approaching traffic,' per CRS 42-4-702"

"I've never seen a driver making this maneuver—who collided with a cyclist—NOT cited," Hottman wr0te in an email.

For his part, Bagley appears to be trying to make amends.

"Even though neither of us got a ticket, and Eddie ended up with only minor injuries, he still needs a new bike," Bagley wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. "So, if anyone knows how to reach Eddie, could they message me, please?"