Driver Strikes and Kills Cyclist in Tragic Fort Meyers Crash, Then Flees the Scene

Fatal bicycle accidents

FORT MEYERS, FL- Nbc-2.com writes that a driver struck a cyclist on US-41 in Fort Meyers this week in an early morning crash. The driver then fled the scene. Reports indicate that the victim, a 55-year-old man, was cycling on the shoulder of the roadway when a northbound vehicle struck him.

Responders rushed the injured man to the hospital, but he died a short while later from the injuries he sustained in the crash.

A police officer who was driving past the accident scene collided with the victim’s bike, which was in the roadway. Officers towed the police car and the mangled bike away from the scene.

Police are asking that anyone with information about the crash contact Crime Stoppers or the Florida Highway Patrol.

No description of the vehicle involved has been released.

Hit-and-run crashes are increasing in the United States. Most of the victims are cyclists and pedestrians who are more at risk of sustaining severe injuries when struck by a vehicle. Oftentimes, the incidents occur at night, and there are few or no witnesses around to identify the driver. Motorists who flee accidents are statistically more likely to be drunk or driving on an invalid license than those who remain at the scene.

Florida has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities, the highest rate of cyclist fatalities, and comes in third when it comes to hit-and-run data crashes.

While fleeing the scene of a crash is a criminal act that comes with harsh penalties, drivers often manage to evade police. The arrest rate for this crime is fairly low, which means that even the harsh penalties, including jail time and fines, are often not enough to deter these drivers.