St. Louis County to investigate Sunset Hills mayor's role in cycling crash

[Sherman A1]

SUNSET HILLS, Mo. (AP) -- The criminal investigation of a small-town Missouri mayor accused of purposely striking a bicyclist with his car has been turned over to an outside law enforcement agency.

Sunset Hills Police Chief William LaGrand said Thursday that St. Louis County police will now handle the inquiry. Cyclist Randy Murdick of Fenton says he was nearing the end of a 40-mile ride Tuesday afternoon when Mayor Mark Furrer used an expletive while yelling at him to get off the road and then swerved his red Mercedes into the high-performance racing bike.

Murdick says his Achilles tendon was ruptured and his $12,000 bike damaged extensively. Furrer says he didn't hit Murdick but that the cyclist grabbed onto his car before falling.

Murdick and other local cyclists say they regularly encounter hostile drivers.
Authorities told News 4 the transfer of the investigation from one department to another means witnesses who spoke to Sunset Hills police will have to be interviewed again.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/County-to-investigate-Sunset-Hills-mayors-role-in-cycling-crash-269445531.html