Poway sheriff’s deputies announced Sunday that a 50-year-old man had been arrested and charged for a road rage dispute that left a bicyclist seriously injured in October 2013.
Douglas Lane was arrested on a felony warrant for reckless driving resulting in serious injury. Lane was involved in a dispute and car crash with another motorist on Oct. 26 on State Route 67, said Deputy A. Meleen.
According to San Diego County deputies, the car accident occurred around 9:45 a.m. Oct. 26 on SR-67, just north of Poway Road.
When officials arrived, they learned that two vehicles were involved in a dispute over the right of way seconds before the crash, right as SR-67 merged from two lanes into one lane.
Detectives said Lane was behind the wheel of a Dodge Ram 3500 when he and a Volvo refused to yield to one another. As they did so, the passenger side of the Volvo collided with the driver side of the Dodge Ram.
After the vehicles crashed, the Dodge veered to the right and into a marked bicycle lane, striking a 38-year-old female cyclist who was riding northbound.
Court documents obtained by NBC 7 reveal Lane was allegedly so angry at the Volvo driver, he didn't see the cyclist and didn't realize he had hit her.
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The woman was reportedly participating in the Pedal the Cause charity event when the accident occurred. She suffered a broken neck, broken collarbone and concussion. She is still recovering.
On Monday, NBC 7 spoke with Andy Hanshaw, the Executive Director of the San Diego County Bike Coalition. He called the incident "an avoidable tragedy" and was glad to see action taken in the case.
"The cyclist in this case was doing absolutely everything right," Hanshaw said.
"There's no place for road rage, particularly when you're dealing with the safety of people out on the road," he added.
On Nov. 19, a felony warrant was issued for Lane. He was arrested by El Cajon police officers on Saturday without incident, Meleen said.
Lane was booked into county jail where his bail was set at $50,000. He faces three years in prison.
