John McQueen’s bicycle headlight was still on when deputies found it in the ditch, its steady beam cutting across the cold, empty stretch of Rockwell Road. That single detail—the light still shining, still doing the very job meant to protect him—has made the tragedy of November 17 all the more devastating for those who knew him. Moments earlier, 48-year-old McQueen had
been riding eastbound through Winchester, Ohio, following the same rural route he often used. What should have been a routine evening ride turned catastrophic in an instant.According to investigators, McQueen was struck from behind by a vehicle traveling in the same direction.
The impact was violent enough to throw both him and his bicycle off the roadway, landing them in a grassy ditch where the beam of his headlight continued to glow. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Joseph Shrader, did stop—but only briefly. In those crucial seconds when he could have rendered aid, called 911, or tried to save a man’s life, he instead made a fateful and irreversible decision: he left.
Shrader drove away from the scene, leaving McQueen alone, injured, and without immediate assistance. Authorities say no emergency call was made by Shrader, no attempt to alert passing motorists, no effort to take responsibility for the life-altering collision he had caused. It wasn’t until another driver noticed what appeared to be debris and stopped to investigate that help was finally summoned.
Paramedics and deputies rushed to the location, but the damage had already been done. McQueen’s injuries were severe, the minutes lost between impact and discovery critical. The bicycle’s headlight—still functioning, still faithfully illuminating the dark—stood as a heartbreaking symbol of a tragedy that might have unfolded differently had help come sooner.
Shrader was later located and taken into custody, facing charges connected to the crash and the hit-and-run that followed. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives working to determine factors such as speed, impairment, and visibility conditions that night.
For McQueen’s family and the Winchester community, the grief is compounded by the knowledge that he was left without aid in his final moments. They now mourn a man remembered for his kindness, his love of cycling, and his presence on the quiet country roads where he should have been safe.
About the Author
