JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The day after a bicyclist was struck and killed on Mayport Road locals came forward questioning the safety of the area.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Misty Van Pelt, 42, turned into the path of an oncoming car at Mayport Road and Edgar Street and was hit Wednesday afternoon. She was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, but couldn't be saved.
Misty Van Pelt's husband, Tony Van Pelt, told News4Jax on Thursday that his wife will be missed by many.
"Misty (Hopper) Van Pelt meant a lot of things to a lot of people but most of all she was my soulmate and best friend," Tony Van Pelt wrote on a GoFundMe account page. "I hope she touched everyone's life like she touched my heart. I will always cherish my time I had with my wife."
ONLINE: GoFundMe account for Misty Van Pelt's family |
WATCH: Witnesses try to help bicyclist hit by car
The speed limit along Mayport Road is 45 mph, and according to people who travel the road frequently, there's a blind curve in the road just north of Edgar Street where it's difficult to judge the speed of quickly approaching traffic.
Beorgie Harris, who travels Mayport Road on bicycle several times a week, said he knows from experience the road is dangerous.
"My aunt got killed out here off Mayport Road, so I know how it goes," Beorgie Harris said. "You always double look, look one time, look again."
Beorgie Harris' aunt, Wanda Harris, was killed by an out-of-control pickup driver who pinned the 39-year-old woman to a storefront off Mayport Road in 2008. That crash was less than a mile from where Misty Van Pelt was hit Wednesday.
"These cars are coming fast. These cars are coming off these bases and stuff. You just got to look," Beorgie Harris said. "If you don't look and be careful, you're going to get hit."
Beorgie Harris said the blind curve just north of Edgar Street makes it hard for cyclists and pedestrians to judge the speed of oncoming cars.
"Certainly our condolences go out to the family of the lost one here, but we do look at the roadways and do an observation of the roads and the traffic patterns," Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Ron Tittle said.
Tittle said the issue of safety along Mayport Road will be brought as a topic of discussion at the next community traffic safety meeting.
"We'll look at this specific location and see if there's any history -- so far we haven't seen any history of that intersection itself -- but that being said, our traffic engineers will go back and take a look at this," Tittle said.
Jessica Todd, the driver who struck Misty Van Pelt, is not being charged with a traffic violation, according to FHP. However, toxicology tests are pending for both Misty Van Pelt and Todd to see if alcohol was a factor.