Augusta cyclist dies 4 months after crash; driver charged

By Ty Tagami

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Iraq veteran from Fort Gordon who was struck by an SUV while riding his bicycle in October has died, and a South Carolina driver has been charged with killing him.

Matthew Burke was a 37-year-old orthopedic surgeon, husband and father of an infant when he went on a group ride from Augusta in October. Soon after the evening ride had started -- after the cyclists had crossed the state line into Aiken, S.C. -- an SUV drove into them.

Several were hurt. But only Burke, who had survived a tour of Iraq in 2009, was gravely injured. He suffered brain trauma and lost consciousness. He died Sunday, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol's investigation went on for months. Finally, on Tuesday, SUV driver Daniel Johnson, 41, was arrested and charged with reckless homicide, Trooper Judd Jones told the AJC.

On Wednesday, the newspaper said, Johnson's bond was set at $50,000.

The incident proved divisive, the AJC reported, with South Carolina drivers criticizing Augusta cyclists for riding on their roads.

The collision occurred on Beech Island Avenue, a scenic byway that is popular among cyclists in Augusta, in part because of the light traffic.

Johnson, who lived near the crash scene, told investigators that he was not paying attention while driving, Lance Cpl. Josef Robinson of the South Carolina Highway Patrol told the AJC at the time.

The corporal, a highway patrol spokesman, said the investigators did not tell him what had preoccupied Johnson.

"They just said he was distracted," Robinson said.

Trooper Jones said police waited four months to bring charges, in part to see what would happen with the victim and also because the investigation was ongoing.

"We wanted to make sure our investigation was thorough," Jones said.