Longtime Columbus Dr. Robert Petry and son Rob pose for a photo during a stop on a bike ride in Summit County, Colorado. Dr. Petry, 72, died July 14 as a result of a bike crash in rural Bartholomew County.
Retired Columbus Dr. Robert W. Petry died earlier this month in a bicycle crash in rural northeastern Bartholomew County, and members of his family are asking the public for help in finding out what may have preceded the fatal accident.
Petry, 72, died July 14 after his bike left the road. He and his bike were found in a ditch on the side of the road in the area of East County Road 550N and North County Road 475E. His son, Rob Petry, said his father frequently rode his bike in the area between Columbus and Hope near his home.
“He loved it here,” said Rob, who grew up in Columbus and now lives in Colorado. “… Our father died and we don’t know what happened. … We just need to get some answers.”
He said Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting, who has not yet issued an official autopsy report, informed family members that Dr. Petry died from a broken neck.
Nolting said Tuesday his office has not completed its investigation, but he did not dispute the statement. He said an official autopsy report likely is one to two weeks away, pending review and analysis of Petry’s autopsy, prior medical records and toxicology results. Nolting declined to comment further about the case before the investigation is concluded and an official report is issued.
“There is no danger to the public, I’ll put it that way,” Nolting said.
Nolting said authorities were alerted to the accident after receiving a call from Dr. Petry’s wife, Rosanne, who knew her husband’s usual route of travel and said he didn’t return as expected.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department believes Dr. Petry took off for the bike ride at about 9 a.m. and deputies subsequently located Petry at the scene of the crash at about 2:30 p.m. July 14.
The sheriff’s department’s investigation is ongoing. Sgt. Dane Duke, sheriff’s office spokesman, said the sheriff’s office is requesting the public’s assistance in regards to the July 14th bike accident. Anyone with information about a male bicyclist wearing a fluorescent green shirt in the Clifford/Hope area from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 14 is asked to call Duke at (812) 565–5943. “The Sheriff’s Office is seeking relevant information as to why the bicyclist left the roadway resulting in the accident,” Duke said.
Nolting said that Petry had taken appropriate and recommended precautions before his ride. The coroner said in addition to letting his wife know his route and planned time of return, Petry protected himself by wearing highly visible colors and a reflective vest.
The younger Petry and his sisters — Denise of Noblesville and Katie of New Castle — are waiting for investigative results, and they also believe someone might have useful information about what happened before their father’s fatal bike crash. The family members stressed they are not theorizing what might have happened, but they have concerns.
“If anyone saw him acting on his bike like he was suffering from fatigue, that kind of information would be helpful,” Rob said. “We also know he’s had incidents with drivers, motorists acting recklessly in those areas.”
The siblings say they also want to stress the importance of bicycling safety. This includes riders letting a family member or friend know their route and expected return time or wearing and using a tracking device. Bike riders also should ride with the flow of traffic and use hand and arm signals when making turns.
They say it’s also incumbent upon drivers to be alert and aware of bike riders and to share the road with bicyclists and allow plenty of space when passing.
Rob said his father had some health concerns, but he also was in excellent physical shape and “a very competent cyclist” who rode almost daily.
Dr. Petry’s daughters Katie and Denise said their father in recent years had expressed to them concerns about people and motorists harassing him during his bike rides, including a resident who “would come screaming down the driveway” at him when he rode past, Katie said.
“He said people were getting aggressive out there,” Katie said, noting at different times that drivers in trucks had tried to run him off the road or that he had encountered “vehicles that play ‘chicken’.” Denise noted that as a cyclist herself, that has happened to her.
“We’re not accusing anyone,” Denise said. … “We just want closure.”
Dr. Petry had practiced locally for 34 years as an allergy and immunology specialist until his retirement six years ago. His son described him as a great father and physician — “brilliant” — who was beloved by his patients.
“When I heard the news, I was devastated,” Rob Petry said. “He was one of my best friends and my father. … My world was turned upside-down.”
Aside from not knowing what led to his father’s bike leaving the road, Rob said he’s troubled that his father and bike were found on the left side of the road at the crash scene. Cyclists ride on the right side of the road, he noted.
“On face value, that’s suspicious,” Rob said.
Based on information available to them before the crash, the family members said they estimated their father was traveling at a speed of 15 to 20 mph. Denise noted he averaged about 19 mph on rides.
She said their father remained “clipped in” to his bike’s pedals after the crash. She views it “a little implausible” this would be the case if her father experienced a medical emergency before the crash.
While the family awaits official answers from investigators, they also hope anyone in the community who might have useful information comes forward. But they also realize it’s possible they may never get the answers they’re seeking.
“We don’t want that to happen,” Rob said. “In instances like this, time is of the essence.”
“We want everyone to be safe out there,” he said. “This is really about the community at the end of the day as much as it is about us.”
