CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A man is charged with hitting bicyclists with his SUV, causing one to fall off his bike. It happened Thursday along Sugar Pike Road in southeastern Cherokee County.
Jerry Ross, 72, of Woodstock is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. He was booked into he Cherokee County jail with no bond.
“This guy was angry,” Scott Hager, one of the cyclists who was hit but not seriously hurt, told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims.
The man who fell off the bike was treated on the scene by paramedics.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Cell phone video shows a Honda Pilot, with its horn blaring, passing dangerously close to the group of cyclists, despite having no traffic in the opposite lane. The video captured the license plate number, leading deputies to the driver’s home.
The sheriff’s incident report says Ross “was very frustrated with the cyclists” and had repeatedly called 911 on them and filed complaints with the sheriff’s office. He said it wasn’t “reasonable” for cyclists to take a whole lane, so “he drove them.”
“I told him I had video of the incident and offered to show it to him, which he stated he didn’t want to see because he knew he did nothing wrong,” the report says.
Shaune Huysaman, owner of Whitetail Bicycles and Coffee Company, organized the 33-mile ride.
“Even when you ride solo and not impeding any traffic, people are still super angry toward cyclists for some reason,” he said.
Huysaman said he keeps his groups to no more than 25 riders to avoid hindering traffic. No law mandates the size of cycling groups on the road, but law enforcement recommends no more than 10.
He also said his groups stay as close to the right side of the road as possible and have no more than two cyclists riding side by side, as required by law.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“Show some grace,” he said. “I know cyclists will make mistakes, same as drivers. The difference is, when cyclists make mistakes, they’re not going to kill another driver. In a car, you’re going to kill another person.”
Bicyclists do have a legal right to use the road and are considered vehicles, subject to follow the same traffic laws and motor vehicles. Motorists are required to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing bicycles.
“I know you’re upset,” Hager said. “We’re out here to have fun. We’re out here to get exercise. Just give us a little bit of time, you’ll be able to get around us.”
©2026 Cox Media Group
