http://www.registerguard.com/web/new...venue.html.csp

All the facts aren't yet in. We do know that the cyclist was down when a hit-and-run motorist knocked him into the ditch. He may have been down from a seizure (likely the same reason he rides rather than drives), he may have been hit by a previous hit-and-run motorist. It's not like he wasn't clearly visible when the likely-fatal blow was struck since one motorist had already stopped to render aid.

A few thoughts: This is a road that is used as a shortcut between Eugene and the suburbs of Venetta, Elmira and Noti. Considering the time of day, the motorist may well have been racing home for lunch, which is fairly common for the suburbanites hereabouts. I found that when the price of gas increased to over $4.00/gal, there was quite a bit less lunchtime traffic on the roads that connect to these suburbs.

It is unlikely that the last (only?) driver to hit him will be prosecuted. First of all, we don't even have 24-hour coverage by sheriff's patrols anymore. Secondly, our sheriff and his deputies are generally not inclined to put a lot of effort into issues involving cyclists. Thirdly, it will be difficult to prove the cyclist wasn't already dead when he was last struck so the district attorney will not want to go to trial. If someone turns the motorist in, I expect misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving while suspended (so common here that it would explain the running away) with no jail time is the most he will get.