Bedford County Cyclist Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver, Troopers Still Hunting for Ford

A 65-year-old Manns Choice man riding his bicycle north on Hyndman Road was struck and killed by a driver who fled the scene, and more than a week later, Pennsylvania State Police still don't know who was behind the wheel. Joseph Williams was hit around 8:51 a.m. on August 19 in the 10000 block of Hyndman Road, also known as State Route 96, in Harrison Township, Bedford County. The impact threw him into a nearby yard while his bicycle came to rest a short distance away.

According to the Altoona Mirror, the driver struck the rear tire of Williams' bicycle before continuing north on Hyndman Road without stopping. Investigators recovered evidence at the scene indicating the fleeing vehicle is a burgundy or maroon Ford with damage to its passenger-side headlight area and passenger-side mirror, details state police hope will help the public identify the car.

Pennsylvania State Police Bedford investigators say they continue to seek information about the crash that killed Williams, renewing their appeal this week through a Facebook post titled PA State Police's Case File Friday series covering Bedford County. The post included a transcript referencing the surrounding area, naming Hyndman Road, Sulphur Springs Road, White Sulphur Springs Lane, Sulphur Springs Creek, and Route 96 itself, as investigators try to jog the memory of anyone who was in the area that morning.

Cash Reward Offered for Tips

Troopers are asking anyone with information to call the Bedford Barracks directly at 814-623-6133 or the PSP Tips toll-free line at 1-800-472-8477, where tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward. That reward money comes from private contributions rather than taxpayer dollars, the state police noted in their original appeal.

Whoever was driving that Ford is facing serious legal exposure once identified. Under Section 3742 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, leaving the scene of a crash involving a fatality is a second-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a $2,500 fine, with a maximum sentence of up to seven years. State law requires drivers involved in a crash that causes injury or death to stop immediately and render aid, an obligation this driver did not meet.

A Rural Highway With a Troubled Safety Record

Route 96, also called Hyndman Road or Shawnee Road, is a two-lane undivided state highway that runs 41.6 miles across Bedford County, connecting the Maryland border in Londonderry Township north through Harrison Township and Manns Choice, according to Wikipedia. Pennsylvania law under Title 75, Section 3303 requires drivers to give cyclists at least four feet of clearance when passing and to slow to a careful, prudent speed, since bicyclists on state roads carry the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators.

The stretch of highway where Williams was killed saw unusually heavy traffic last year. PennDOT completed a $1.6 million bridge replacement near Route 31 between Harrison Township and Manns Choice in September 2025, and the project's 13-mile detour routed regional traffic through Hyndman Road throughout the summer of that year.

Statewide Bicyclist Deaths Climbing Even as Traffic Deaths Fall

Williams' death fits into a troubling statewide pattern. PennDOT traffic safety reports published in April found that bicyclist fatalities across Pennsylvania rose from 19 in 2024 to 28 in 2025, even as overall traffic deaths fell to a historic low of 1,047. Of those 28 bicyclists killed last year, 12 were riding e-bikes and half were not wearing helmets, per the same PennDOT report.

The rise in fatalities tracks with a broader increase in bicycle crashes overall. Reported bicycle crashes statewide climbed 57% over two years, from 810 in 2022 to 1,271 in 2024, according to data compiled by The Rothenberg Law Firm, which also recorded 1,255 non-fatal bicyclist injuries statewide in 2024. Historical crash analyses from Gilman & Bedigian show that more than 80% of bicyclist fatalities in Pennsylvania happen on state highways like Route 96, with nearly half occurring on stretches away from intersections, where high speeds and a lack of shoulders contribute to fatal rear-end strikes.

For now, the investigation into who killed Joseph Williams remains open, and troopers have not said whether any tips have come in since renewing the public appeal this week. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about a burgundy or maroon Ford with damage to the front passenger side is urged to come forward.