No Charges in Fatal Bike vs. Car Crash in Williams Twp.

Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast have released a summary report of a fatal bicycle vs. car accident in Williams Township in which no one will be charged. The bicyclist, who is identified in the report as 65-year-old Robert P. Marley of Lower Gwynedd, Montgomery County, died of injuries he suffered in the Sept. 9 crash at Steely Hill and County Line roads.

According to police, Marley was wearing a helmet as he traveled south on Steely Hill Road and prepared to turn left–or eastbound–onto County Line Road. Police said they determined that Marley “was in the northbound lane traveling southbound.”

At the same time, the driver of a 2017 Honda Accord was westbound on County Line Road, and making a right turn onto Steely Hill Road.

Police said 84-year-old James J. Pavlica of Kintnersville tried to avoid colliding with Marley by swerving onto the shoulder on the east side of the road. He was unable to do so and Marley’s bike struck the front of his car, which police said caused the cyclist to strike the car’s front bumper, hood, windshield, roof and back window.

Lehigh Valley Live reported that Marley was pronounced dead at the scene, and that his death was ruled accidental due to multiple blunt force injuries by Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek.

The accident happened shortly after 10 a.m. Sept. 9 along the Northampton-Bucks County line, which also separates Williams Township from Durham Township.

An obituary for Marley noted that he was an “avid cyclist” who had studied engineering at Lehigh University and was a father of four.

The state police report said Pavlica was uninjured in the accident.