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Man Arrested In 2015 Oakland Crash That Claimed Life Of Bicylist

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Police say a man who is now charged in a crash that killed a bicyclist in the city's Oakland neighborhood last year was high and driving too fast and on a suspended license at the time of the accident.

Police have charged David Witherspoon, 49, of Brackenridge, in the death of 34-year-old Susan Hicks.

"I'm not surprised there were charges pressed. I'm glad it's now happening," Dan Warner said.

Dan Warner was a close friend of Hicks. He says he's been waiting for justice to be served.

"It's not so much he needs to get punished. It's so much that there has to be accountability," Warner said.

Hicks was killed last October on Forbes Avenue in Oakland. A memorial still stands at the scene.

Court papers say Witherspoon was speeding and high when he struck the car in front of him at a red light. The impact sent the vehicle into Hicks, pinning her between two cars.

Police say Witherspoon was also driving with a suspended license.

"He has totally left a hole in our friendship circle, and it's had vast implications on a lot of things, and we've thought of how less the world functions without her and we're still just dealing with that," Warner said. "We're all just adjusting to what it means to not have Susan in our life."

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Bike Pittsburgh, which works to make the roads safer for cyclists, said on Friday:

"We are relieved to hear that the driver that caused the crash that killed Susan Hicks has been charged. When people choose to drive while they are unlicensed or while under the influence, it endangers everyone on our roads."

Witherspoon was already in the Allegheny County Jail when he was charged on Friday.

In addition to being charged with homicide by vehicle, he faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and careless driving.

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