Bicyclist Struck During Late Ride on Route 50 Dies

Deputies from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office responded to several reports of an adult male riding bicycle in the westbound lanes of Route 50 near Tall Cedars Parkway around 11:40 p.m. July 6.

Upon arrival, a deputy was told the man had been struck by a vehicle traveling along the road, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses told deputies that several vehicles swerved to avoid hitting the man, who is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. A 23-year-old man from Centreville was driving his Cadillac behind another vehicle that swerved to avoid the man when he struck to bicyclist.

Charles William Blackford, 29, of Chantilly was transported to Fair Oaks Hospital where he died. The bicycle was not equipped with a white light on the front or a red light on the back, which are requirements for operating on a highway at night.