An accident that claimed the life of a New Hampshire man cycling for charity remains under investigation, but an eyewitness says there’s no way the driver could have avoided the collision.
James Dobson, 32, of Dover, N.H., was struck on his recumbent tricycle, where the rider sits back in a lower position than a normal bicycle, by a car driven by Hunter Buckley of Columbia on U.S. 98 in Lamar County Tuesday.
Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Travis Luck said the accident was reported at 12:57 p.m. just west of WPA Road.
“Preliminary investigation reveals a 2016 Dodge Challenger driven by Buckley was traveling west on U.S. 98 when he approached the cyclist, who was also traveling west near the right fog line of the highway,” Luck said. “The Challenger could not avoid the bicyclist, colliding with the rear of the bicycle.”
Dobson was pronounced dead at the scene, and Buckley was uninjured, according to Luck.
In a much-shared post on Facebook, Jay Ginn of Lamar County said he witnessed the accident and there was no way for Buckley, a 2017 Columbia High School graduate, to avoid the collision.
“The accident was unavoidable for the young man that struck the bike/trike due to the actions of the driver in front of him,” Ginn wrote. “At least five vehicles who I know witnessed the accident left the scene including an 18-wheeler. I saw it happen, did a U-turn and attempted CPR, but he (Dobson) was already gone and his chest cavity was crushed. The people who left the scene need to give their statements to the MHP. Don’t be a coward. Many lives were destroyed today including the young man in the car. He will never forget what happened.”
Ginn also reiterated in another posting that there was no way the accident could have been averted.
“He was behind a car that ran right up on the biker then swerved to the left,” he wrote. “There was no way he could have avoided it at that point.”
Dobson had been riding cross country to raise $10,000 for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth- Hitchcock in Lebanon, N.H., for research of childhood cancers.
“I’m a guy pedaling a bicycle to help give children an opportunity just like you and I have,” Dobson wrote on his Go Fund Me page, which has now collected more than $16,000 as of Thursday. “I want them to be able to grow old and enjoy all of life’s attractions.”
Ginn posted on Facebook that he had spoken with Dobson’s mother on Wednesday and that they spoke of the challenge for the charity “Kids Cancer Sucks.”
“He was raising money for a hospital like St. Jude’s,” Ginn wrote. “I would like to challenge everyone to go beyond this. James died doing what he loved, helping others. I would like to see his goal hit 100K. He gave his life; we can all give something to help a child in need.”
