This past Saturday night around midnight a bicyclist was killed in Chester County. The crash happened on Street Road just east of the intersection with Schoolhouse Rd in East Marlborough Township. Details are very sketchy but it appears that the offending motorist left the scene.
Police found the body of 24-year old Joe Teitsorg-Birog off the road after 2 am allegedly 2 hours after the crash occurred. A Jeep with moderate front end damaged was found at a nearby residence. The damage to the vehicle and the distance that the victim was found from the road suggests that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. At the time of publishing the driver of the Jeep has not been charged. There is no indication that the bicyclist had lights, but Street Road is narrow and without streetlights so the operation of a bicycle would have been very difficult without lights. Teitsort-Birog was wearing a helmet.
The crash site at Street Rd and Schoolhouse Rd; click on the image to open in Google Maps
According to the West Chester Daily Local, Joe was a popular employee at Northbrook Martketplace, a known destination for both area cyclists and weddings. Co-workers mentioned that Joe would often help visitors get their bikes fixed. A friend of the victim believed that he was traveling to the market when the crash happened. Given the location of the Marketplace and his home in Kennett it is likely that Joe’s commute was mainly on quiet rural lanes, but required riding a short section Street Road (PA 926) before turning left onto Northbrook Road.
Anyone who may have witnessed or been in the area at the time of the crash are urged to contact Tpr. McMurray or Tpr. Neely at the Avondale barracks (1-610-268-2022). Our deepest condolences go out to Joe’s friends and family as well the staff and management of Northbrook Marketplace.