HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- Stanley P. Dawson, 59, of Mechanicsville, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the fatal September 5 crash involving cyclist Caroline Dawn Wortham.
Wortham, 26, of Glen Allen, was riding her bike near the intersection of Mountain Road and Farrington Road when she was struck from behind by a Buick sedan, investigators said.
Wortham died as a result of the crash.
Dawson was charged with involuntary manslaughter, failure to yield to a bicyclist and possession of a concealed weapon.
"I hate when you hear cyclists getting hurt," neighbor Jean Lombes said. "Share the road kind of thing, you know, but Stanley? I've known him for 10 years. To find out he was involved, I mean, he has a lot going on."
Neighbors said Dawson lost his wife to cancer a few months ago.
Lombes said Dawson would help him with yard work and that Dawson had some ongoing health issues. He also said he was surprised to even see him driving; claiming Dawson had bad eye sight.
"We saw him come down the road and I was like, ‘Does he even see us?’" said Lombes.
Several other neighbors shared similar stories, off-camera, about Dawson’s driving.
"I will be praying for him and also for the family of the cyclist," Lombes said.
Dawson was held at Pamunkey Regional Jail Tuesday night with no bond.
