Prosecution suspended in Eau Claire, Wis., bike death

An Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, judge on October 11 suspended the prosecution of a 90-year-old man who drove onto a bike path and killed a 51-year-old bicyclist on June 30.

The driver, Archie Van Wormer, suffers from dementia and cognitive deficiencies and is not competent to stand trial on the felony charges, homicide by negligent use of a vehicle and hit-and-run causing death. Judge Paul Lenz ordered the prosecution be suspended for a year, and that Van Wormer's competency be assessed every six months. He is living in an assisted care facility in Illinois.

The elderly man reportedly drove without his required glasses, and shortly after taking new medication the afternoon of the crash. He drove off the roadway and onto the bike path, where he struck Kirk Cartwright, a 51-year-old father and grandfather.