JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a cyclist was killed Thursday morning in a hit-and-run crash on Jacksonville’s Southside, a bicycle safety advocate raised concerns about drivers not knowing they need to share the road.
Steve Tocknell, president of Pedal for Safety, a nonprofit bicycle safety organization, said drivers often misunderstand that bicycles are legally allowed to use the roadway.
“Bicycles have all of the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle, and they need to be respected as if the bicycle is a car,” he said.
Tocknell said crashes like the one Thursday have a ripple effect beyond the person who was killed.
“He’s got family. He’s got friends. He may have children,” Tocknell said. “I don’t know this case, but it’s a loss to everyone — not just the victim. And a lot of these fatalities are preventable.”
Investigators are still searching for the driver who ran from the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Officials said a 2010 Dodge Challenger with a Pennsylvania tag was driving north in the right lane on Southside Boulevard near Cargal Street.
A bicyclist was riding north in the bicycle lane when the front of the Challenger struck the bike’s rear, throwing the rider onto the shoulder, FHP said.
The driver stopped on the right shoulder, got out of the car, and ran away, FHP said.
Officials said the bicyclist died at a nearby hospital, and they have not been identified at this time.
Anyone with information about the fatal hit-and-run is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or FHP.