A 46-year-old Cincinnati man riding an electric bicycle was struck from behind and killed late Tuesday night on State Route 32 near Eastwood Road in Sterling Township, and the driver who hit him never stopped. James D. Daugherty was pronounced dead at the scene, and troopers are now asking the public for help finding a white Nissan Versa believed to have fled the crash with heavy front-right damage.
According to FOX19, the crash happened just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday as Daugherty rode a Jansno electric bicycle westbound in the right lane of SR 32. State troopers say the vehicle struck him from behind before fleeing the scene. The News Democrat reports the crash occurred at approximately 10:36 p.m. and drew a multi-agency response, with the Mt. Orab Police Department, Mt. Orab Fire and EMS, the Brown County Sheriff's Office and the Brown County Coroner's Office all assisting the Ohio State Highway Patrol at the scene. The coroner's office officially pronounced Daugherty dead there.
Investigators describe the fleeing vehicle as a white Nissan Versa from roughly the 2020 to 2025 model years, though authorities searching for the driver have also described it as a 2023 to 2025 model, per the same account. Anyone with information is urged to contact OSHP's Georgetown Post at 937-378-6193 or 937-378-6191.
A Highway With a History of Deadly Crashes
The stretch of SR 32 near Eastwood Road has seen trouble before. Facebook posts from patrol post reports note the intersection was previously the site of another multi-vehicle fatal collision investigated by the Georgetown Post, underscoring long-standing safety concerns where rural Sterling Township roads meet the high-speed corridor. Countywide, SR 32 recorded 279 crashes between 2023 and 2025, making it Brown County's second-most crash-prone roadway behind U.S. Route 68, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol safety data — an average of roughly 93 crashes a year on that road alone.
Daugherty's death also comes during what troopers statewide have flagged as a dangerous stretch of summer. Ohio State Highway Patrol statistics cited by WTOL show statewide traffic fatalities rose 6% during the summer's “100 Deadliest Days” period between Memorial Day and Labor Day compared to the same stretch last year, with troopers pointing to distracted driving and lane departures as leading factors in rural fatal crashes.
What the Fleeing Driver Could Face
Under Ohio law, leaving the scene of a crash that kills someone is a serious felony. Ohio Revised Code Section 4549.02 makes failing to stop after a fatal crash a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a charge that escalates to a second-degree felony carrying up to eight years if the driver knew a death had occurred, according to the Ohio Revised Code. The statute also mandates a license suspension of six months to three years for anyone convicted.
Brown County has pursued similar cases aggressively in recent months. Hoodline previously reported that a driver pleaded guilty in July to vehicular homicide and hit-and-run charges after fleeing an October 2025 crash that killed a 22-year-old pedestrian on State Route 125, with sentencing scheduled for later this month. It's the latest reminder that Brown County prosecutors have not let fleeing drivers walk away quietly.
E-Bikes Share the Same Rules of the Road
Daugherty's use of an electric bicycle on a state route was legal under Ohio law. Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.522 grants e-bikes with motors under 750 watts the same legal rights and duties as traditional bicycles, meaning riders can operate on public state highways without a driver's license, vehicle registration or license plate. Separately, Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.56 requires that bicycles and e-bikes ridden between sunset and sunrise carry a front white headlight visible from at least 500 feet and a rear red reflector or light visible from up to 600 feet. It remains unresolved whether Daugherty's e-bike was equipped with that required lighting at the time he was struck.
Court records reviewed by the Ledger Independent show Daugherty had prior ties to Brown County's court system, having been ordered in May 2018 to complete a community control program following a probation violation tied to a fifth-degree felony conviction for aggravated drug possession.
Second Fatal Crash on SR 32 This Summer
Daugherty's death marks the second fatal crash on SR 32 in Brown County in less than a month. A 28-year-old motorcyclist died on the same highway near Schweighart Road in July after colliding with stopped traffic, according to state trooper reports. SR 32 serves as a major east-west thoroughfare connecting Brown and Clermont counties, carrying heavy traffic through rural stretches with few lighting options after dark.
Investigators have not said whether surveillance footage or local body shops have turned up leads on the damaged Nissan Versa, nor whether debris recovered at the scene has helped narrow down the vehicle's exact trim or model year. Those questions remain open as the Georgetown Post continues its search for the driver.
