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The N.C. State Highway Patrol is searching for the driver in a hit and run in Orange County last weekend that left two cyclists injured, including one still hospitalized with severe injuries.
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The collision occurred around 7 p.m. Saturday on N.C. 751 near U.S. 70 between a vehicle the Highway Patrol has identified as a pewter 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe traveling northbound and the two cyclists traveling southbound. Both were taken to Duke University Hospital after the crash.
One of the cyclists is Marc Maximov, a 56-year-old Durham resident and board member of Bike Durham.
The other cyclist, a 27-year-old Duke graduate student, is expected to undergo a lengthy recovery after suffering what his girlfriend called “life-altering” injuries. The News & Observer is not identifying the cyclist or the girlfriend at the request of his loved ones.
Maximov was discharged Sunday morning after being treated for major bruising and swelling in his left arm and a cut to his right knee. He returned to the hospital Tuesday after worsening symptoms in the arm and said he was told he had a small fracture.
The driver, who has not been identified, fled the scene and traveled toward Durham County, according to Highway Patrol investigators. Investigators obtained surveillance photos of the suspect at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday getting a tire changed at a tire shop in Durham on the corner of Old Oxford and Danube.
They said the suspect was last seen Saturday at 8 p.m. driving west on Carver Street at North Roxboro Road in Durham.
Investigators said the tire on the Tahoe “was flat or significantly low prior to the collision based upon the physical evidence on the roadway.”
Maximov and his friend were about halfway through their ride Saturday and heading back toward central Durham. The two met through Durham Bike Co-op and rode together several times before.
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Maximov said he rode in front while the other cyclist followed behind him in single-file formation when the vehicle crossed the center line and into their lane.
“It just felt like this person was coming to hit us,” Maximov said.
Maximov recalled quickly swerving to the right before being struck by what he believes was the vehicle’s driver-side mirror, which he found below his bicycle after hitting the ground. Maximov said he got up, moved his bicycle off the road and called 911. He felt pain in his knee and thought his left arm was broken, but he said the shock of the impact masked much of the pain he was feeling.
He added that his friend was hit head-on and was unconscious after being hit. The vehicle did not stop, he said.
“In a split second our pleasant bike ride had turned into a nightmare,” Maximov said.
The second cyclist’s loved ones said doctors told them he could spend weeks, or months, recovering in the hospital, including time in rehabilitation. He is also expected to undergo multiple surgeries in the coming week.
“The doctors and nurses pretty much said the fact that he’s so fit and so strong and so healthy is the only reason he’s alive,” his girlfriend said.
If you have information related to the hit and run, contact the Highway Patrol district office in Orange County at 919-732-2551 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or the 24/7 communications center at 336-334-5500.
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 6:11 PM.