Cyclists rally for change after collision by driver in Florida
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FOX 29
On Saturday morning, hundreds of cyclists gathered to advocate for improved road safety, urging local and state leaders to instigate change. In the early hours of Thursday morning, a collision involving a car and a group of cyclists in Gulf Stream, Florida, led to seven individuals being taken to the hospital, according to reports from Delray Beach fire officials. The incident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. along North Ocean Boulevard, directly in front of Gulf Stream Golf Club, as outlined in the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) statement.
Crossed centre line and drove into pack
As per the FHP report, a 77-year-old woman from Lantana was driving a 2020 Kia Soul southbound on North Ocean Boulevard. Concurrently, a group of eight cyclists was heading north in the northbound lane, riding two abreast.
The driver of the Kia Soul crossed the center lane divider for reasons yet to be determined, entering the northbound lane while still moving south.
As of Saturday, Delray Medical Center spokesperson Andrew Lofholm confirmed that three cyclists remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition and one in serious condition.
“You don’t feel safe anymore”
One of the victims, Carlos Martinez, was there to support the cause. He was luckier than others—he was riding at the back of the group and was not nearly as badly injured as the others.
“The next thing I saw was the car passing very close. I got minor scratches. And then everybody was on the floor,” Martinez said to Fox 29. “You don’t feel safe anymore. I came today because I feel like we have to create awareness,” Martinez said. “We want things to change. I want to give my part to change the community.”
Peggy Tomasso was also there. She and her husband, Mike, who were both involved in a bike-involved collision in 2021.
“We were riding single file together, one in front of the other,” she said. “I was hit first, just out of nowhere, and then I hit him. I went into the windshield and actually rode over his shoulder.”
Many of the cyclists there want more infrastructure to bolster their safety when riding.
“I’d like to see bike lanes on all these roads, safer roads,” Tomasso said. “There are areas where this road is crumbled and just falling.”
“We need to look for some immediate recognition for just how fragile all the cyclists are out here,” Cameron Oster said. “If we get hit by a car, there’s a high likelihood that we will die.”
