JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A mother whose son was injured last year in a bicycle crash said deaths like the bicyclist from Saturday morning are preventable.
RELATED: Bicyclist killed in crash in Lake Forest Hills
“It breaks my heart,” Joanie Deal said. “There’s just too many accidents out there.”
Police said a 20-year-old man was driving when he hit a man in his 60s who died at the scene.
The driver stayed and spoke with the police.
That is the 75th traffic death this year in Duval County and the fourth involving a bicyclist.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, five people died from bike crashes in 2023.
This death hits close to home for Deal because her son Dakota was hit while riding his bike on Beach Boulevard.
RELATED: Biker hit by car in April making progress, learning how to walk, talk again
He didn’t die, but his life was changed.
Dakota now has a metal plate in his face and has memory loss.
But there’s a difference between the crash that injured Dakota and the man who was killed Saturday morning.
That crash happened in the dark. Police said he was wearing dark clothing and didn’t appear to have functional lights on the bike.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said everyone needs to be safe when on the roads.
“Bicycles should have safety equipment,” Hackney said. “They need a white light from the front that’s visible from 500 feet, a red light or reflector visible from 600 feet in the back...and also a helmet.”
Hackney said it’s important to wear light-colored clothing at night too.
Deal had words of advice for people who ride bikes around Jacksonville.
“Watch out for motorists...and I don’t want to see anyone else end up like my son or tragically lose their life,” Deal said.
Hackney said these incidents are preventable.
“Some of that involves enforcement, some of that involves ticketing folks...from an officer’s standpoint, you hate to issue those tickets, but those tickets can really help save somebody’s life,” Hackney said.
He added that people can ride their bikes on the sidewalk if they feel unsafe riding on a busy street.