THE SIDELINES : Olympian’s Death Investigated

A coroner opened hearings today into the death of Olympic gold medalist Victor Davis, who was hit by a car four months ago after an argument with its three occupants.

Davis, a gold medal-winning swimmer at the 1984 Olympics, was thrown 30 feet into the air by the car, whose driver sped off without stopping. Davis died two days later without regaining consciousness.

The attorney for the driver and his two passengers has said that Davis died as the result of a “tragic accident” after he threw a bottle of soda into the windshield of the car. According to police reports, two women who had been drinking in a bar with Davis said the car deliberately ran him down after a brief argument.