Driver who fatally struck Lexington F3 runner not at fault, police say

The driver who fatally struck a man while he was running in Lexington on Wednesday morning was not at fault, police said.

John Flanagan, 38, of Lexington, died from traumatic injuries suffered after he was hit by a car while running on Sunset Boulevard just before 6 a.m. Wednesday, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Thursday.

Officers found that the driver of the vehicle, West Columbia resident Rebecca Laird, was traveling east on North Lake Drive toward Sunset Boulevard with a green traffic signal when Flanagan “ran across the road and was struck by her vehicle while he was in the roadway,” said Cpl. Cameron Mortenson of the Lexington Police Department.

Police spoke with independent witnesses at the scene and viewed nearby surveillance video, which confirmed Laird “did not contribute to the collision,” Mortenson said.

Flanagan was taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, where he later died, Fisher said.

Members of F3 Lexington, of which Flanagan also was a member, said in a Twitter post Wednesday afternoon that Flanagan was wearing a headlamp, a reflective safety vest and a blinking light for visibility when he was hit.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published June 22, 2017 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Driver who fatally struck Lexington F3 runner not at fault, police say."