UPDATE: Cyclist in stable condition following hit and run

A cyclist was struck in the city’s east end and Hamilton Police are in search of the driver who took off from the scene.

Witnesses who spoke with CHCH said a man cycling west on Barton street was hit in the intersection, colliding with a truck travelling south on Gage. While police are still investigating who was at fault for the crash, the driver that took off is facing a charge of failing to remain at the scene.

The busy intersection of Barton and Gage was shut down today after a cyclist was hit shortly after 10 a.m.

“The bike was going on Barton and he cut the truck off and hit him.”

Witnesses telling police that the cyclist may have been at fault. It’s something police are still investigating.

“I realized that nobody stuck around and this poor guy is just laying there.”

Witnesses say bystanders picked the man up and brought him to the sidewalk before the ambulance arrived.

“When I came out the store the ambulance had come up, was tending to him and then heard he wasn’t doing too well.”

The man in his mid 50’s was taken to hospital in serious condition but now police say he is expected to make a full recovery. Meanwhile, the search continues for the driver that hit him.

“It was a brown scrap box truck with a flat bed scrap bin on the back … completely brown.”

Police describing it as a work truck.

“We are still trying to identify the vehicle as well as the driver.”

For Brian Marcheson, this crash brought back memories of his own experience on the road.

“I know what it’s like to get hit by a car, it happened to me years ago.”

Marcheson broke his knee after he was struck while cycling. He has two plates in his leg with bolts holding them together.

“I try to keep on the shoulder as much as possible but I always get nervous around vehicles because some people don’t care.”

While the driver that struck Marcheson stayed at the scene, the person who hit the cyclist today did not. Even if the driver was not responsible for the crash, he is now facing charges for failing to remain…

“It’s better just to remain there. I know its difficult the scenario, situation and circumstances that develop but that is part of the investigation and your responsibility as a driver.”

Police are checking surveillance video, including the footage from a convenience store. The front window of the store has been smashed and boarded up. Neighbours telling CHCH that just last week at this intersection, a car plowed through and then took off.