BI cyclist in hit-and-run accident ID’d

The cyclist who was struck by an alleged drunken driver April 17 while traveling southbound on Highway 305 has been identified by a police report.

Paul Bourgeois, co-owner of Rub Done Right and deputy director of defense logistics at Maritime Puget Sound, was riding his Trek Series 2 bicycle on the shoulder of the highway around 6 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a man driving a 2016 Toyota Tundra. The driver “didn’t even flinch,” witness Maria Llerena says in a police report. Upon collision, she said she saw Bourgeois briefly fly through the air before hitting the ground.

Dashcam footage obtained from Darnae Edwards by the Bainbridge Island Police Department shows a gray Tundra drift over the fog line toward Bourgeois.

“The pickup truck collides with the bicyclist and continues southbound. Debris from the collision is scattered along the shoulder. As the pickup truck passes by Darnae, it does not appear to slow down after hitting the bicyclist,” BI officer David Pepicelli writes. “After the collision, one of the passengers in Darnae’s car is heard saying something along the line of, “Did he just get hit?” to which Darnae replies something to the effect of, “Yes, and then the truck kept [expletive] going!”

When officers confronted the driver at home, they found that the side mirror of the truck was missing. The driver has since been arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular assault.

Bourgeois was conscious when Pepicelli arrived, but sustained lacerations on his knees and forehead. He was wearing a helmet, but due to the potential for brain injury, he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Bourgeois was released the same day.