A Scioto County woman was arraigned in a Pike County court Monday, on charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident when she fatally struck a cyclist during Tour of the Scioto River Valley in May.

William Crowley, 57, of Northville, Mich., was a cyclist in the 47th-annual Tour of the Scioto River Valley. He reportedly was struck by a 2005 GMC Envoy, operated by Sara Bender, 35, of Lucasville, on U.S. 23 near Piketon, May 11, at about 7:50 a.m. on the return trip from Portsmouth to Columbus. Crowley was ejected off his bicycle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bender reportedly drove 10 miles south to her home in Scioto County, and then returned to the scene 30 minutes later and told an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper she thought she hit a sign.

While no charges were filed immediately after the fatality, Pike County Prosecutor Tony Moraleja, who was at the scene at the time, said the case would be reviewed by the prosecutor's office when the investigation was complete. Bender then was indicted on Aug. 19, for leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

According to Pike Court Court of Common Pleas, Bender was released on a bond of her own recognizance and was ordered not to have any contact with the victim's family. A date for pretrial has not yet been set.

Some 3,000 cyclists made the trip, an annual Mother's Day weekend event, from Columbus to Portsmouth on Saturday, spent the night and started the trek back to Columbus early Sunday morning. All totaled, TOSRV covers 210 miles.

RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235.