Durham cyclist recounts scary crash as suspect driver faces judge
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man accused of injuring two cyclists in a weekend hit-and-run crash appeared before a judge in Orange County on Thursday.
Jorge Vazquez Castillo faces nine charges, including felony hit-and-run. The crash happened Saturday evening on NC 751, where one of the cyclists suffered serious injuries.
Authorities say Vazquez Castillo was driving with a flat tire around 7 p.m. when he crossed the center line and struck two cyclists traveling in the opposite direction. Investigators said he left the scene. Surveillance video later captured him at a tire shop in Durham.
Court records show Vazquez Castillo has several recent driving-related charges, including charges in Wake County in July 2025 and March 2026 for driving without a license. He is also charged in this case with driving without a license.
Marc Maximov, one of the injured cyclists, described the moments leading up to the crash.
"Once (the car) didn't go back in its lane, I thought, 'Oh my God, it's coming right at us,'" Maximov said.
Maximov, who has been cycling in the Triangle for more than 20 years, said he swerved at the last moment in a move that he said he believes saved his life.
"I swerved to the right immediately. And I think I saved my own life. I think I was hit by the driver's side mirror. I went flying through the air forward," he said.
Maximov said the other cyclist, a friend who was riding with him, was hit head-on and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
He urged drivers to prioritize safety on the road.
"People should understand that them getting to where they want to go a few minutes later is less important than everybody surviving on their way to where they're going," Maximov said.
A judge set Vazquez Castillo's bond at $250,000. His attorney declined to comment after the hearing. Vasquez Castillo is due back in court in July.
Prosecutors said the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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