Chapel Hill cyclist injured in car door accident remains in critical condition
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Chapel Hill resident Nick Watson had died from his injuries, based on comments made by the Chapel Hill mayor pro tem.
A bicyclist remains in critical condition a week after colliding with a parked car’s door on West Franklin Street, according to a family friend.
Chapel Hill Mayor Pro Tem Karen Stegman said Wednesday at the beginning of the Town Council meeting that resident Nicholas Watson had died. After the meeting, she wrote on social media that she learned “this may not be the case.”
A family friend told The News & Observer that Watson remains in critical condition.
Stegman posted on her Facebook page that she “based my comments on information I received from concerned members of the community.”
“At the beginning of the Town Council’s discussion on bike and pedestrian improvements for West Franklin Street this evening, I mentioned that the bicyclist, Nick Watson, who was seriously injured in a collision with a car door along Franklin Street last week, had passed away today,” Stegman said in a post on Facebook.
“I am deeply sorry for the pain the family and friends of Mr. Watson are experiencing during this incredibly difficult time and apologize if if my statement contributed to it in any way,” she said.
Watson was critically injured on Jan. 25, while riding his electric bike on West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill police reported. He was heading west, between Roberson and Graham streets, when a driver who had pulled into a parking space opened his door to get out.
Watson’s bike hit the car door, knocking him to the ground, the police report stated. He was taken to UNC Hospitals, where he remained in critical condition.
Police estimated that Watson was traveling at roughly 10 mph when he crashed into the car door.
Chapel Hill resident John Gaegler told The News & Observer that he saw the driver pull into the parking space and get out as he was putting money in the parking meter. Watson wasn’t wearing a helmet, he said.
“When (the cyclist) hit the ground, it was horrible,” said Gaegler, who had gotten there just minutes earlier.
A nearby police officer arrived before they could dial 911, he said.
Gaegler said he directed traffic around the wreck until another officer arrived. He then stayed a while longer, talking with the driver.
“The guy that got out, he was very upset,” Gaegler said.
“You would like to go up and give some aid or comfort. There was nothing that we could do. It’s a really helpless feeling,” he said.
Pedestrian safety
The crash, and multiple other crashes involving pedestrians in January, has sparked a renewed cry in Chapel Hill for better pedestrian and bike safety.
The council had a discussion Wednesday about whether to add bike lanes to West Franklin Street later this year when the N.C. Department of Transportation repaves the street.
Police reported that 16 people were hit by drivers while in the town’s crosswalks last year, and some were injured or killed, Stegman said at the beginning of that discussion. Watson’s accident frames the issue, she said.
“We’re really in a crisis around safety on our streets,” Stegman said.
“We are literally talking about life and death when we talk about what we’re doing with our streets and how we’re making them safe for everybody, and not just for cars,” she said.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 7:33 PM.
