Bicyclist Involved in a Hit and run Accident

In sad news coming out of Fort Lauderdale last month, a bicyclist who was the victim of a hit and run accident last December passed away from the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident. According to a report by the local NBC affiliate, the man was riding his bike to work on the 5200 block of Northeast 18th Avenue the morning of Dec. 16 when a black mustang came out from nowhere and hit him.

The bicyclist was ejected off of his bike and landed on the windshield of the mustang. From there, the man rolled over the car and came to a rest on the rear window of the mustang. The driver of the mustang didn’t stop the car, but instead drove several more miles to his home in Pompano Beach. Once home, he took the bicyclist off of his car and put him behind a dumpster, leaving him for dead.

Garden workers found the man and he was rushed to the hospital. While at the hospital the man was barely able to speak, but was able to explain that he was “very mad” and thought that the driver of the car was a “monster.” The man died last month, after two months of suffering.

The driver of the mustang was arrested and charged with failure to stop at an accident involving injury and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence  Subsequently, the driver has been released on $70,000 bond.

Drunk Driving Accidents in Broward County

This is unfortunately not the first accident this year involving a drunk driver and a bicyclist. in fact, Broward County is known nationwide as one of the more dangerous cities to ride a bicycle. For these reasons, it is critically important that all bicyclists take every precaution they can in order to ensure a safe ride. Here are a few safety tips to follow when on a bike:

- always wear an approved helmet, no matter how short the journey

- equip the bicycle with properly adjusted mirrors and working reflectors

- when riding at night, ensure that you use a flashlight or headlamp

- always walk the bike across large intersections

- when riding on main roads, follow the rules of the road

- always yield to cars that you think may not see you

- never drink alcohol or take illegal or prescription drugs and ride

Sometimes, no matter how careful we are, we can’t avoid the accident. Cars can come out of nowhere, or drivers can be drunk, or negligent, or distracted. In these cases, the accident victim is entitled to recover for their injuries under Florida law.

Have You Been Involved in a South Florida Auto Accident?

If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a South Florida car accident, you should speak to an experienced Broward County accident attorney as soon as possible. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages based on the negligence of the person responsible for the accident. To find out more about the laws that allow Florida accident victims to recover for their injuries, click here.
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