Driver Who Killed 65 Year Old Bicyclist In Jersey County Taken Into Custody

Kajavion McCarvey

A 21 year old man is in custody more than two months after killing a 65 year old bicyclist in Jersey County, Illinois, according to RiverBender.com.  Kajavion McCarvey of East Alton turned himself in on Wednesday after Jersey County authorities announced charges of Aggravated DUI and Reckless Homicide against him earlier this week.

Carol Admire, Courtesy of
RiverBender.com

The arrest stems from a collision on May 23rd that left Carol R. Admire of Alton, Illinois dead at the scene.  She was riding southbound on the shoulder of State Highway 100 around 4:00 p.m. when the allegedly intoxicated driver, also southbound, hit her with his pickup truck, according to the RiverBender.com.  Initial media reports of the crash presented a slanted view of the incident, suggesting that Ms. Admire had been riding in too dangerous a location along the busy road.  Local television station KSDK placed emphasis on the existence of a bicycle path on the other side of the roadway from where Ms. Admire was riding.  The no-so-subtle suggestion is that she should have been riding on the path instead.  See for yourself:

It is important to remember that Illinois, unlike some states, does not require that bicyclists use a separated bike path where one has been provided.  Also, Ms. Admire was apparently riding with traffic, on the southbound side of the highway also known as Great River Road.  As noted in the news report above, the shoulder on which she was riding was commonly used by cyclists.  Great River Road is a scenic highway that runs along the Mississippi River.  In light of these facts, it is deeply disappointing that initial reports placed undue emphasis on the bicyclist's conduct rather than on the driver who may have been intoxicated.

In our experience, driver's rarely face criminal charges from causing injury or death to bicyclists.  It is encouraging to seen that the State's Attorney in Jersey County has decided to pursue charges that could see the driver facing in excess of 14 years in jail.