GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A cyclist was killed on his birthday after his bike slipped on hydraulic oil causing him to be hit by a trailer being pulled by a truck.
David P. Fitzgerald, who turned 57 on Tuesday, was riding his bicycle north on NW 13th Street in the curb when he drove through hydraulic oil that had been recently spilled from an open 5-gallon container that fell of an open truck bed, Gainesville police said.
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Fitzgerald's bike slipped, causing him to fall into the path of a heavy duty trailer that was being pulled by another truck. The second truck had attempted to move over while passing the cyclist, according to police. The trailer struck Fitzgerald. He was taken to Shands Hospital, where he died, police said.
A full traffic homicide investigation is underway and police said that it could take many months to complete.