Mark Furrer, the mayor of Sunset Hills accused of intentionally hittng a cyclist with his red Mercedes convertible, is now facing two felony charges. In court filings yesterday, the St. Louis County Prosecutors Office charged Furrer with assault and property damage for striking Fenton cyclist Randy Murdick on a stretch of Gravois Road in Sunset Hills this past July.
According to the complaint, Furrer attempted to cause physical injury to Murdick by hitting him with his vehicle and knowingly damaged Murdick's bicycle. Murdick suffered a contusion on his buttocks and a strained knee as a result of the collision that threw him from his bike, according to the probable cause statement. His specialized Venge street bike was also damaged to the tune of $750.
See also: Sunset Hills Mayor Mark Furrer Accused of Intentionally Striking Cyclist with His Car
The probable cause statement also references a verbal altercation between Furrer and Murdick prior to the mayor's vehicle striking the cyclist. Murdick has said that the mayor yelled at him to "get off my fucking roads." In a previous account Furrer gave to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the mayor claimed that Murdick ran a stop sign and then started screaming profanities at him.
Furrer did not immediately return voice messages seeking comment.
See also: LISTEN: 911 Callers Tell Dispatcher Sunset Hills Mayor Ran Cyclist Off the Road
On Facebook yesterday, Murdick's attorney, Michelle Funkenbush, wrote that she was pleased the prosecutor's office and the county police investigated the case instead of just calling it an "accident."
"This was a crime witnessed by three independent people," wrote Funkenbush. "Charging the mayor sends the message that you cannot assault cyclists on our roads without consequences. Our politicians are not above the law."
Follow Mitch Ryals on Twitter at @mitchryals. E-mail the author at [email protected].
Continue on to read the criminal complaint and probable cause statement.
