A bicyclist and law officer in central Iowa narrowly avoided death on the first day of Bike to Work Week. The Polk County Sheriff’s office says a car hit the bicycle rider yesterday afternoon on Highway 415 near Polk City, north of Des Moines.
The bike rider, 45-year-old Leesa Shoemaker of Polk City, was rushed to a Des Moines hospital and was reported in stable condition. Shoemaker is a 24-year veteran of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and is currently a Division Chief.
No charges were filed against the car’s driver, 57-year-old Jerry Culbertson of Bagley. It’s at least the fourth case of bicyclists being hit by vehicles in the region in recent weeks.