JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of runners showed up to Three Layers Cafe in Springfield on Tuesday night to honor the bicyclist who died in an accident with a SUV early Sunday morning.
The runners said they wanted to remember Jared Bynum, 30, with a jog through his favorite part of the city.
"What happened to him is so unbelievable. [He was] always so supportive of everyone in the group. He's an elite athlete, was an elite athlete," said Katrina Papillon.
At about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Bynum was riding east in the right-hand lane near the intersection of Nocatee and Crosswater parkways when a SUV driven by 21-year-old Shannon Brink struck him.
St. Johns County investigators said that stretch is a limited-access freeway where non-motorized vehicles are not allowed to ride. Bynum's friends told Channel 4 the loss of the cyclist has been a hard wake up call about the dangers of cycling on the side of the road.
"It's always a concern of cyclists," said Ron Porter. "Some roads are more friendly to cyclists than others."
"It's just getting more dangerous around here and people don't notice. I've gone out a lot by myself, and after this, I'm going to stick to the group stuff. It's just too dangerous out there," said Darren Bickle.
Bynum's friends said bicyclists are safer when riding in groups on streets that have low speed limits.
"You always hear stories about how unsafe it is. I'm sure like some of us we know it comes with risks. All I can say is be careful," said Paul McRea.