Police Seek Driver In Baltimore Co. Hit And Run That Killed Bicyclist
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The search is on for the driver who police say hit a 20-year-old cyclist and left him to die in the middle of a Towson road.
20-year-old Aaron Michael Laciny, who recently graduated from Baltimore City Community College, was pronounced dead at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center after being hit in the 6200 block of Charles Street in Towson.
Investigators were called to the scene just after 10:30 p.m. Monday. A preliminary investigation shows Laciny was riding a bike in the southbound lane on Charles Street, when he was struck by a vehicle.
According to police, the vehicle that initially struck Laciny did not remain at the scene of the crash, and Laciny was later struck by a second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle stopped and immediately called police.
Authorities say there's no telling how long Laciny was helplessly laying in the road before he got medical help.
"We're outraged, angry, and feel it could've been avoided," said Joe Traill, who is the owner of Joe's Bike Shop in Mount Washington, where Laciny's brother works.
Traill is one of many who are beyond irate following this senseless act.
"If the person that hit Aaron, and left him there in the road, could've seen the devastation on [his brother's] face this morning, I don't think they could live with themselves," he said. "This person left him to die and it could've been your family as easy as it was ours."
Police are reviewing private surveillance video of this hit and run, trying to get a description of the car that took off.
"We don't know what the causes were behind this collision," said Elise Armacost, with Baltimore County PD. "We don't know why it happened."
The vehicle may also have front end damage to its bumper in the area nine inches to one foot from the ground.
Aleisha Griffin, Laciny's former classmate, says she was one of the last people to speak with him.
"He had just spoken to me yesterday on Facebook messenger," she said. "He has such a big heart and big personality. He was a fun, loving guy. It just doesn't many any sense."
If the first driver had stopped, some feel Laciny would still be here today.
"I hope that's weighing heavily on you because if you would've stopped, there's a good chance that he'd almost, probably still be alive," Traill said.
Police say Laciny was wearing a helmet, but did not have reflectors or lights.
Friends of the Laciny Family are urging people to make donations to Bikemore.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at (410) 307-2020. The crash remains under investigation.
According to our media partner The Baltimore Sun, laciny was working in the Johns Hopkins University nanoenergy lab this summer.
His bio on the Johns Hopkins website says Laciny had interest in research and chemistry and was "currently working on developing an all-solution-processed, flexible, transparent electrode in the JHU ECE department."
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