Mad City

A follow-up on a previous post concerning Pia Maria Sass, who was hit-and-run injured while training for the Ironman Triathlon in Madison, Wisconsin in June. After awaking from a coma, she has finally recovered enough to be able to go home according to her CaringBridge page.

The vehicle that struck Sass did not stop at the scene. But they did finally catch the guy who did it:

The Leader
BALSAM LAKE - John Novak, 88, of Luck, entered a plea of not guilty Monday to two charges relating to the hit-and-run accident that injured Maria Pia Sass as she was riding her bicycle June 18. Novak has been charged with two felonies, hit and run – great bodily harm and second-degree reckless injury.
...
Novak first claimed that he had hit a deer on July 16. After being confronted with the broken lens material, he conceded that he had been driving north on CTH I. According to the investigator's report, he said that he had struck "something" but thought it was a deer. He denied seeing anything and never reported the accident.

The investigator's report said that he asked Novak if he had any vision problem. After failing a simple vision check performed by the investigator, Novak is quoted as stating that he shouldn't be driving because of his vision and understood that. "I'm sorry that I lied about that Wednesday thing," Novak is reported to have said to the investigator.

So there is a reason Madison is also known as the Mad City.

About a week ago, authorities brought up felony charges against another elderly car driver who tried to drive 10 roller-skiers off a Madison road in September:

The Capital Times
"I'm tired of the sons of bitches on the road," 77-year-old Eugene A. Hruby reportedly told a Dane County detective.
...
Hruby allegedly approached in a faded red pickup truck. Seeing no oncoming traffic, a skier waved the truck ahead, but it approached the line of skiers, his bumper over the right edge of the pavement, revving his engine and running each skier off the road in turn.
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"You tell them they are not tolerated on these roads," he reportedly said. "I'm trying to stop four or five of them from getting killed by road
rage."

Translation: We must destroy the village in order to save it.

The last leg of the Madison triangle has to do with an Atlanta triathlete who was killed while training for the Wisconsin Ironman event. According to a memorial fund-raising announcement, this particular car driver actually took out the two cycling buddies from behind. The fortunate one only got side-swiped. The other guy left behind two young daughters.