Charlotte cop ‘heard a noise,’ saw broken side mirror, realized he hit cyclist

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police vehicle collided with a bicyclist Tuesday morning, but the officer apparently didn’t realize it until he noticed his side mirror was damaged.

It happened around 7 a.m. near a curve at Sunset Road near Kiev Road, police said in a statement. Investigators say the officer “heard a noise” when he entered the curve on Sunset Road, then noticed damage to the mirror on the right side of the vehicle.

The officer turned the vehicle around and found a 23-year-old male bicyclist who had sustained minor injuries, police said.

Medic was requested and transported the bicyclist to Presbyterian Hospital with a possible arm or shoulder injury, officials said. The bicyclist is expected to be discharged from the hospital Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Information gathered at the scene indicates the bicyclist was wearing dark clothing and riding the bike against traffic on an unlit roadway. The bicycle was not equipped with lights, officials said.

The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time, police said. At this time speed does not appear to be a factor in this crash, officials said.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Charlotte cop ‘heard a noise,’ saw broken side mirror, realized he hit cyclist."