A driver struck and injured a bicyclist on North Carolina Highway 54 on Thursday evening, with the collision and emergency response temporarily causing delays.

A spokesperson for the Chapel Hill police and fire departments confirmed to Chapelboro that police officers responded at 7:08 p.m. to a reported crash at Burning Tree Drive along Raleigh Road. Upon arrival, officers discovered a driver had struck a bicyclist traveling in the eastbound lanes.

Chapel Hill emergency responders said the cyclist was taken to UNC Hospitals for treatment of injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening. The driver — who was not immediately identified by police — was cited on-scene for a failure to reduce speed and violating a prior license restriction for daytime-only driving.

There is no 2026 data on pedestrian or bicycle collisions on the town’s Vision Zero Dashboard, which tracks such incidents as part of the local government’s goal to “eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2031.” While Thursday night’s collision is the first driver-bicyclist crash of the calendar year, a pedestrian-involved crash was reported on Jan. 21 on Elliott Road near Fordham Boulevard that resulted in non-life-threatening injuries for the pedestrian.

The town spokesperson also confirmed the 2025 data has not been fully updated on the website either. The past calendar year resulted in 14 crashes involving bicyclists, which is down from 16 reported driver-bicyclist crashes in 2024, 21 reported in 2023, and 22 reported in 2022, according to the dashboard.

As of 9 p.m. on Thursday, traffic data indicated vehicles were still slowed on Burning Tree Drive in the aftermath of the crash.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story referenced data shared on the Vision Zero Dashboard from 2025. The story has since been updated to reflect the fact that data was incomplete.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill Police Share Details on Increase of Car Break-ins
Over the last three months, there has been a rise in reported car break-ins, according to Chapel Hill Police. The department shared a release on Thursday, saying it received 122 reports of cars being broken into over that time period. Police said most of the break-ins happened overnight and in residential areas of town. Eleven […]
Chapel Hill Police Creates Team to Investigate Vehicle Break-Ins; 14 Reported Over Weekend
The department said it responded to 14 vehicle break-ins over the weekend, and 320 so far in 2026. The team will focus on finding patterns.
ALE Investigation into Chapel Hill Fatal Crash Leads to Underage Drinking Charges for 7
Seven people face additional charges from ALE, and two Chapel Hill businesses are implicated, after fatal drunk driving crash on January 21.
Chapel Hill Police Report More Car Break-Ins, Including 13 in A Week
As the summer continues, so does a recurring problem for vehicle owners in Chapel Hill: car break-ins. The Chapel Hill Police Department said after receiving 13 reports of breaking and entering into vehicles last week, the town has surpassed 300 reports of such incidents in the calendar year. It represents a notable increase compared to […]
Chapel Hill Police Investigating 2 Vehicle Thefts, Other Break-Ins
Update: A spokesperson for the Chapel Hill Police Department confirmed Thursday afternoon that the car stolen from Highgrove Drive was located and returned to its owner. A string of vehicle break-ins overnight on Wednesday left two residents without cars, according to Chapel Hill Police. An alert from the department Thursday morning shared there were several […]
Chapel Hill Police: 18 Vehicle Break-Ins Reported on Monday
The Chapel Hill Police Department is investigating a recent string of vehicle break-ins around neighborhoods off Homestead Road. The department shared a release Tuesday, saying 18 break-ins were reported from early Monday morning on Abbot Place and other residential streets in the area. Police said all 18 vehicles broken into were unlocked at the time. […]
String of Car Break-Ins Reported at East Franklin Street Business
At least five vehicles and their owners experienced break-ins at a Chapel Hill business on Monday, with a sixth reported nearby. According to reports filed by the Chapel Hill Police Department, five vehicle owners reported break-ins while parked at East Franklin Car Care or the Exxon gas station, located at 1710 East Franklin Street. While […]
Halloween Night Safety Tips for Orange County Residents
Halloween night is expected to be busy in Orange County. Many local agencies and town government departments encourage county residents and visitors to stay safe when out and about. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has tips to keep both trick-or-treaters and bicyclists safe from drivers. For pedestrians, the DOT suggests enhancing your visibility by […]
Town Of Chapel Hill Announces Departure From Social Media Site X
The Town of Chapel Hill announced it will no longer post or monitor its accounts on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bicyclist Injured By Driver Along NC Highway 54 in Chapel Hill
A driver struck and injured a bicyclist on N.C. Highway 54 on Thursday evening. Police later cited them for a failure to reduce speed.
›