SSU Professor Remains Critical, Driver of Hit-and-Run Truck Charged

The retired Sonoma State University professor who was injured when remains in the intensive care unit at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital today.

Steve Norwick, 68, was hit by a Dodge pickup truck around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Petaluma Hill Road and East Railroad Avenue just outside of Cotati, according to the .

The driver fled the scene afterward. Initial coverage focused on the possiblity of , a touchy subject for Rohnert Park residents.

"They could have been using their cell phone, they could have been texting," CHP Officer Kerri Post told ABC7 News.

Later Friday afternoon the CHP arrested the alleged hit-and-run driver, Robert Ernest Cowart, 68, of Rohnert Park, at his home, CHP Sgt. Allan Capurro said. The arrest came after off-duty CHP Sgt. Robert Powers and Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jeff Nicks, who were aware of the collision and live near Cowart, noticed Cowart's damaged tan Dodge pickup as he returned home that day, Capurro said.

The CHP had determined the model of the truck based on car parts collected at the scene. The trunk's right front mirror was missing, and its right front headlight and front end were damaged, the CHP said.

Powers contacted Cowart, who admitted that he had hit Norwick, but he said he left the scene because he didn't believe that the bicyclist was injured, Capurro said. Powers contacted the CHP, and Cowart was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

Cowart told police he was in a hurry to get to work though he did stop following the accident at the Palace of Fruit in Penngrove for milk. He apparently went through the day without letting the collision interfere with his workday, according to the continuing reportage by the Press Democrat.

Cowart posted bail and is scheduled to appear in Sonoma County Superior Court on Wednesday morning.

In comments on the , Alex Horvath pointed out that the area where the accident took place has "plenty of shoulder -- and an actual bike lane. I ride it regularly. The incident was so avoidable."

When contacted by email, Horvath added, " I use a helmet mirror to lessen chances of being thwacked from behind."

Norwick remained in critical condition this morning, with head and spinal injuries and possibly kidney injuries as well, according to Post.

Norwick, who recently retired, was a tenured professor and lecturer in since 1974, said Susan Kashack, the school's associate vice president of marketing and communications. He often took students on field trips as part of their studies of water systems and the environment.

Norwick regularly rode his bicycle on campus and in the community, and was meeting two friends when the accident happened Friday, Kashack said.

"He was one of SSU's favorite professors. The students liked and respected him. He was always happy and very popular," Kashack said.

From Bay City News