No Prison For Woman Who Hit Cyclist With Car In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — Allison Spoerl will not serve time in prison for hitting a bicyclist in Avon Lake with her car.

Spoerl, who was 21 at the time of the accident, was instead sentenced to one year of probation. She previously pleaded guilty to negligent assault, leaving the scene of an accident, tampering with evidence and hit-skip. She could have been sentenced to up to six years in prison.

The cyclist that Spoerl hit, Patty Banks, told the court the trial was not merely about Spoerl hitting her with her car, but her selfish decisions following the collision, WKYC reported.

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"We have to make people aware that cyclists have the right to be on the road, hitting them is unacceptable and leaving them for dead is inhumane. I would have died on Lake Road that day had Marcia Herwaldt not been there,” Banks said.

Bike Cleveland asked cycling enthusiasts to gather outside the court prior to Monday's sentencing to show solidarity with Banks and encourage the judge to more fully punish Spoerl.

"We want to show the judge and community that this crash was preventable, and no one should be seriously injured or killed on our roadways simply for riding a bike. As a region we need to make transportation investments that make our streets safe for all road users, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike. We do not accept that fatal and serious crashes merely happen. We have the power to prevent such tragedies from occurring; civic leaders and the community just need to make it a priority," said Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland.

Banks said the show of support from the cycling community was reassuring for her.