Cyclist Killed in Crash on SR 60 in Hillsborough County, Florida

Cyclist killed in crash

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – According to the tbreporter.com, a man from Dover was killed in an accident on State Road 60 when he was hit a pickup truck. The victim, 71-year-old Johnny F. Renshaw of Dover was riding a bike across the road when he was killed. Renshaw died at the scene.

The incident occurred at about 7:05 in the evening in Hillsborough County. Another person was crossing the roadway with Renshaw at the time. The cyclists crossed over the westbound lanes, and the other cyclist stopped at the median. Renshaw continued crossing and was struck by the pickup truck.

Florida is the deadliest state when it comes to crashes between bikes and motor vehicles. The Sunshine State has the right weather for year-round cycling, which likely contributes to the number of bikes on the roads. This alone could be one factor leading to the high number of bike accidents in the state. However, there are other reasons why so many cyclists are killed in Florida. The state’s roads are notoriously set up with motor vehicle traffic being prioritized. In many places, vehicles are able to drive at high speeds, which makes for a potentially dangerous situation. Also, there are not very many bike lanes in Florida.

Florida is working to reduce its number of cyclist deaths and other deaths. The state is greatly increasing its number of protected bike lanes to help facilitate safer cycling.

Other potential ways to reduce cyclist deaths include lowering speed limits on some of the state’s roadways, especially where there are high levels of cyclists and or pedestrians. Lower speed limits decrease the risk of people being killed if they are struck by a vehicle.