Raleigh cyclist says she was hit by car intentionally

Raleigh, N.C. — Every year, there are more than 900 crashes between motorists and bicycle riders in North Carolina. Most are thought to be accidental; however, a Raleigh cyclist said the driver that hit her over the weekend did it intentionally.

"I think my bike went up and flipped,” Katie McKeithan said.

McKeithan said she was pedaling along Old US 1 in Chatham County Saturday afternoon when a car struck her.  She suffered cuts and bruises to her arms, shoulders and legs.

"This is a large knot and there is a knot behind my knee,” she described.

To make matters worse, McKeithan said she believes a passenger in the car purposely opened a door to be sure it would hit her.

The people who struck McKeithan did not stop and have not been caught.

"It is getting scary with some of the traffic out there,” said Dave Naderman, manager of Raleigh's Trek Bicycle Store.

Naderman said high gas prices has more people bicycling, and the competition between cyclist and motorist for the road is getting dangerous.

"Probably in the past three-months, I could say, I know four to five people that have personally been hit,” Naderman added.

Like, McKeithan, those victims survived their crashes. However, others have not, like Nancy Antoine Leidy.

Police said she was struck and killed while riding her bicycle near the North Carolina State University. Brian Anthony Reid was charged with driving while impaired, felony assault by motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed in the April incident.

"I flip between anger and absolute blessed I am still here," McKeithan said of surviving her crash.

McKeithan also said she believes the car the hit her was a charcoal-gray Chrysler 300M with a license plate that began with the letters 'X Y T.'

If you have any information that can help authorities find the people who hit McKeithan, call the Raleigh Police Department’s Detective Division at 919-890-3555 or Crime Stoppers at 919-226-CRIME.