Driver Charged in Asheville Cyclist Fatality

Asheville -- February 12, 2023: Asheville Police announced awoman was charged Thursday

in the death of a cyclis killed in a south Asheville crash on Jan. 29, 2023

The preliminary investigation showed Vernon Bernard Whicker was on his bicycle in the right-hand lane traveling south near the 1080 block of Hendersonville Road around 9:59 p.m. January 29,  when he was struck by a Ford Escape driven by Jasmine Rose Gardner in the same lane and direction. Whicker died at the scene. His family was notified.
Whicker used a flashlight and his bicycle's rear light to illuminate his position on the road.

Gardner was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed after the Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County District Attorney's Office investigated. Gardner surrendered to Buncombe County Detention Facility on February 2 to face charges.

Editor's Note:* A criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.

WNCTIMES by Marjorie Farrington