Eight years after a crash killed a cyclist during the Greater Blacksburg Triathlon in Virginia, a jury has awarded US$350,000 to a woman involved in the incident. Sharon Knight, a resident of Blacksburg, filed a lawsuit against the town and race director of the third annual Greater Blacksburg Triathlon, alleging that they had failed to warn passing vehicles that they were entering a race area.
Gary Wayne Taylor, a participant of the race, crashed into Knight after passing through a red light. Knight tried to swerve away but could not avoid a collision. She had initially sought US$750,000 in damages for emotional trauma and damage to her car.
A jury awarded US$500,000 in damages to Taylor’s family in 2002. At that time, the verdict was that the town and race director were negligent in organising the race.
The town, which sponsored the event, stated that they had asked all participants to follow traffic rules and signs before the competition began. The director of the race is no longer a town employee.
