Durham hit-and-run spotlights dangers facing cyclists

What they're saying: Marc Maximov doesn't own a car, so he goes everywhere by bike. On the day of the crash, he and a friend were riding through Duke Forest for pleasure — not something Maximov usually does.

• "Biking outside of Durham proper, on like smaller rural roads, is terrifying. I do it for transportation purposes as needed, but it is an awful experience," he tells Axios, citing the lack of shoulders and bike lanes, as well as occasional hostility from drivers.

Zoom in: Around 7:15pm Saturday, the two men were riding single-file on the side of N.C. 751 near Kerley Road.

• Maximov, who was in front, watched a large vehicle drive toward them and cross the centerline.
• The vehicle — later identified as a light-colored Chevy Tahoe — hit both cyclists and never stopped or slowed down, Maximov says. Crash investigators told him there were no skid marks at the crash scene.
• "I can never know with any certainty whether this person intentionally hit us, but it felt that way," he says. "The person could have been very drunk. They could have been texting. I'll probably never know."

Ambulances took both cyclists to the emergency room. Maximov is cut and bruised, but is home now.

• His friend, a Duke University graduate student, was knocked unconscious and remains hospitalized in intensive care.
• "His girlfriend has now been with him 24/7 in the hospital. His family flew in from China immediately," Maximov says.

By the numbers: Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the U.S., especially for people under 45, Centers for Disease Control data shows.

• In North Carolina, about 40 cyclists die in crashes a year, according to the state Department of Transportation's crash data from 2024, the most recent year available.

State of play: Both Durham and Raleigh are investing in what's known as the Vision Zero framework.

• Vision Zero, recognizing that traffic crashes are preventable, aims to completely eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

• Raleigh's comprehensive safety plan, adopted in April, aims to do so by 2055. Durham set the same goal for 2045.

How it works: The Vision Zero strategy recognizes that changing the built environment is far more effective than educating individuals on safe practices.

• Sidewalks and bike lanes have been shown to significantly reduce crashes, and speed is one of the top factors in the severity of a crash.

Reality check: Getting around the Triangle without a car is difficult. Public transportation doesn't yet fully connect the region.

• Transportation departments are redesigning streets and intersections to make them safer for cyclists and pedestrians, but results are expected to take decades.

What's next: The North Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating Maximov's hit-and-run crash.

• Serial numbers on a broken side mirror and other broken-off parts helped state troopers identify the make and model, according to Maximov.
• Cameras in the area allowed authorities to track the vehicle to Hillsborough Road, but the trail went cold once it passed National Pawn, an investigator told Maximov on Tuesday.
• Troopers did not return a phone call from Axios.

Have information? The Highway Patrol troop covering Durham is at 919-560-6868.