New Canaan Police: When They Question Darien Cyclist, She Refuses to Cooperate ‘in Any Way’

Police on Saturday afternoon arrested a 36-year-old Darien woman who they said failed to cooperate with them when they looked into a complaint about her hazardous bicycle riding in northern New Canaan.

At about 2:10 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 9, officers were dispatched to the area of North Wilton and Smith Ridge Roads on a report of a dispute between a cyclist and motorist, police said.

— This article previously was published by New Canaanite.com

Please learned that the Darien woman had been riding her bike in the middle of the travel lane, obstructing vehicles seeking to drive around her and prompting the dispute, according to a police report.

Responding officers found her on Smith Ridge Road but she “failed to cooperate in any capacity” when they began questioning her about the incident, refusing even to provide her name or any ID, the report said.

At times she made attempts to ride away from the interviewing officers while they addressed her, it said.

After multiple attempts to get her name and have her cooperate with their investigation, officers charged the woman with interfering with an officer, a misdemeanor offense.

It isn’t clear whether the woman additionally ran afoul of state laws that govern cyclists. Under the Connecticut General Statutes, cyclists riding “at less than the normal speed of traffic” are to ride “as close to the right side of the roadway as is safe,” except in certain conditions.

Those conditions include when a cyclist is overtaking another vehicle headed the same way or when he or she is preparing to turn left, under the state law. (Motorists are required under state law to give cyclists a berth of at least three feet when passing them.)

The Darien woman was released after promising to appear Sept. 22 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.