Shocking footage obtained by road.cc shows a 77-year-old driver of an SUV on the wrong side of the road in Florida “well-above the speed limit” and disoriented for “unknown reasons” going head-on into a group of eight cyclists.
The cyclists were riding two abreast at the break of dawn yesterday in Gulf Stream, a beach town in Palm Beach County, Florida on the A1A — a two-lane road with no hard shoulder and a 35mph speed limit. They were headed north when suddenly, the driver came at them head-on from the opposite side in the wrong lane and went straight ahead with her Kia Soul without slowing down.
CBS12 News reports that Florida Highway Patrol said that the driver first collided with one of the riders, a 43-year-old man, as well as the rest of the group of cyclists. The man was thrown from his bicycle and rolled onto the northbound lane of the A1A.
*Warning: Some may find the footage upsetting, viewer discretion advised*
While the aftermath of the crash remains uncertain, seven of the riders were rushed to two hospitals. Two of them are in critical condition. The injured also included a husband and a wife; the latter was admitted to hospital, while the husband is reportedly in a coma.
A cyclist from Florida also told road.cc that these roads are “super popular” amongst cyclists, especially for group rides like these, however given the history of such incidents, they didn’t expect the driver to be charged anything substantial other than a minor infraction like ‘distracted driving’.
Barry Cohen, a cyclist from Boynton Beach nearby, told CBS12: “It’s terrible. It’s a dangerous stretch here. This in particular ’cause there’s no shoulder right here. There’s a lot of cyclists that are always riding here, sometimes in large groups.”
Another local cyclist who runs a cycling safety activism and awareness Facebook page called ‘Be Seen’ said: “This was a horrific accident in South Florida on A1A early this morning near Gulfstream Country Club. This was an experienced group of riders all with lights on (front and rear). All were riding on the right side of the road and entitled to the driving lane.
“This woman was driving down A1A on the WRONG side of the road and drove head on into the whole group of cyclists. She did not slow down. She plowed into them. She is an 80 something year old woman who was disoriented for unknown reasons at this time.
“Most importantly keep the injured and their families in your prayers. Please make it a point to educate people you know about the rules of the road for cyclists and drivers. We will continue to work on helping to educate the public.”
Cyclists on social media have reacted in different ways, some raging at the driver’s behaviour, while others were saddened by the outcome of the event. A few also bemoaned the poor conditions for safe cycling in Florida.
Dave wrote: “I hadn’t ridden on the roads in several years and finally just sold my bike. It’s simply too dangerous to ride on public roads any more, no matter where you are in this country”, while Rick said: “The US has a major problem that is going to get worse with an aging population. We do not have a transportation system that provides enough options, in suburbs and rural areas, for older drivers to not have to drive.”
Another cyclist said: “Just horrible. I rode that strip of A1A from Lake Worth to Delray a few years ago, it’s pretty harrowing, no room for error. There are decent bike lanes for much of it except for that Gulfstream portion.”
Just horrible. I rode that strip of A1A from Lake Worth to Delray a few years ago, it’s pretty harrowing, no room for error. There are decent bike lanes for much of it except for that Gulfstream portion.
— Puck Buddys (@PuckBuddys) January 4, 2024
Last month, Illinois Supreme Court declared that cyclists were “only permitted users of the road, not intended”, sending many cyclists in America into a state of shock and disbelief, who blasted the decision as “asinine” and “backwards”.
There is also a precedent for lenient punishments for such incidents in the US. In 2021, a 16-year-old youth in Texas ploughed into six cyclists when he accelerated as he attempted to blow black smoke at them from his illegally modified exhaust, a practice known as “coal rolling”.
The cyclists, two of whom had to be airlifted to hospital – fortunately without life-threatening injuries – had been on a training ride for Ironman Texas. While the Police Department spoke to the driver and said that they were continuing to investigate, despite eyewitness accounts of what happened, no arrest was made.
63 thoughts on “Shocking footage of Florida collision shows moment group ride hit by driver of SUV”
Location of the collision
Location of the collision from the GPS data on the video:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ay2dUPygvv862Dbg9
What is the “break of dawn”
What is the “break of dawn” ?
“When your rooster crows at
“When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m-a travellin’ on
But don’t think twice, it’s all right.”
Bob Dylan, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright
Possily more common in American usage but acceptable.
Knock Three Times. Or
Knock Three Times. Or possibly Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=chmZjISjR4U
I have to admit it: for
I have to admit it: for cyclists, there are worse police forces and legal systems than ours
Pains one to think it, let
Pains one to think, let alone say it… one-eyed and blind come to mind.
Florida is probably peak
Florida is probably peak motornormativity
hawkinspeter wrote:
It’s well known here by cyclists as the most dangerous state in the nation to cycle in, although it’s sometimes second. It’s too bad, as it has some of the best weather for year round cycling, and is essentially flat.
Florida has a terrible road
Florida has a terrible road safety record.
Manslaughter by Motorist.
Manslaughter by Motorist.
The USA is a third world country with more money.
Was the woman drunk or under
Was the woman drunk or under the influence of drugs? Florida’s record on road safety is one of the worst in the US. Texas beats it for DUI. Bear in mind that 4x as many people/head of population are killed on US roads than UK roads. And states like Florida, Texas and North and South Carolina are all much worse than the average.
OldRidgeback wrote:
Legally, it does not matter. Surprisingly, Florida’s laws on this topic are actually good, and well-written. The problem there, as with in the rest of the United States, is that prosecutors and cops are all on-strike and refusing to do their jobs.
Specifically, in Florida, one commits vehicular homicide when one kills “a human being, or the killing of an unborn child by any injury to the mother, caused by the operation of a motor vehicle by another in a reckless manner likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to, another.” ( https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2019/0782.071 )
It doesn’t matter if the driver was drunk, or high, or anything else. If one crosses the centerline and kills someone, that’s vehicular homicide in Florida.
And she will probably walk with a traffic ticket, because pressing those felony charges is far too much like work for any US prosecutor to be bothered with.
Bear in your mind that the US population is 5 times that of the UK. There are about twice as many cyclists in the US as there are people total in the UK.
Erm, you do understand what
Erm, you do understand what the phrase “per head of the population” means, right?
Eton Rifle wrote:
Yes, and the claim is wrong — as demonstrated.
dh700 wrote:
You really have a problem with being wrong, don’t you? in 2021 42,939 people were killed in the USA in road incidents. 12.9 per 100,000 population. In the same year 1558 people died in road incidents in the UK, 2.3 per 100,000 population. So it’s nearer five times as many per 100,000 people, so what are you describing as “wrong as demonstrated”?
That commenter seems to have
That commenter seems to have appeared below a lot of articles over the last week, and their default position is that they know far more than anyone else about everything and their role on this earth is to educate us poor fools. Or something.
It’s a bot account, I’m
It’s a bot account, I’m convinced.
mark1a wrote:
Surely no human being could have such a complete absence of self-awareness.
brooksby wrote:
Well, unlike you, I don’t comment when I have nothing useful to say on the topic. So, by extension, it does always appear that I know far more than you — funny how that works, innit?
dh700 wrote:
Oh you really, really do.
Rendel Harris wrote:
No one else here was informed about Florida traffic law, nor could be bothered to research the applicable statute — so like just about everything else you’ve written, that statement is demonstrably false.
dh700 wrote:
Yes, about that great knowledge of yours, it’s wrong. You stated that it didn’t matter whether the driver was drunk or not, it’s charged as vehicular homicide anyway. I thought that sounded like it must be bollocks, with the same charge whether or not the defendant was drunk, and indeed it is. Vehicular homicide, under Florida Statutes § 782.071, is applied when a vehicle is driven recklessly and that results in the death of another person. When a driver is intoxicated to the level of DUI and causes the death of another person they will be charged with DUI Manslaughter under Florida Statutes 316.193 (3)(c)3.
You stated, and I quote, “It doesn’t matter if the driver was drunk, or high, or anything else. If one crosses the centerline and kills someone, that’s vehicular homicide in Florida.” You were wrong. You will, of course, not accept this but that’s okay, these are facts and everyone can judge them for themselves.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Both DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide are 2nd degree felonies, in Florida, so as I said, “It does not matter”. ( Both have escalators that can rise to 1st-degree. )
Furthermore, read the law. There is no exception for being drunk that stops this crime from being vehicular homicide. It may __also__ be DUI manslaughter, but it is still vehicular homicide.
So try again…
Or maybe don’t, you’ve embarrassed yourself quite enough already.
dh700 wrote:
QED, called it and I was right.
Rendel Harris wrote:
You have not yet been right about one single thing, in fact. If you harbor some deep-seated need to gain my approval, because you lack same from your parents, you’re going to have to step your game up many levels.
You claimed that crossing the centerline and killing a cyclist is not vehicular homicide according to Florida law. And you were wrong.
You claimed that there are only about 50M American cyclists — after comically googling it, and reading only the first sentence of the first result. And you were wrong.
You claimed that American roads are four times more lethal than UK roads. And you were wrong.
And then you have the unmitigated gall to expect people to “accept” your gross errors.
dh700 wrote:
QED. Silly little man.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Nothing left from Harris except more pathetic ad hominem attacks — so that would be your surrender. Better luck next time.
He’s not educating me, he’s
He’s not educating me, he’s boring me. I do wish he/she would go away.
Could it be Martin 73 come
Could it be Martin 73 come back ?
Hirsute wrote:
Same utterly tiresome air of supercilious omnipotence but (as yet, anyway) not the same level of cyclist hatred. Suspect from the timings and other clues possibly US based?
Rendel Harris wrote:
Oh look, more ad hominem attacks in place of any ability whatsoever to argue against my position. Color me unsurprised. Talk about tiresome — is anyone here over the age of 15? Is this — and pretending to be informed about American cycling by reading only the first sentence of the first Google search result — really all you can muster?
And if y’all think I’m easily intimidated by such, you’ve got another think or two comin’.
I preferred Elvis’ 68
I preferred Elvis’ 68 comeback
perce wrote:
If that’s your wish, ’tis very easy to accomplish. Get your fellow commenters to stop making such glaring mistakes, and get the writers and editors who publish on road.cc to do the same.
As long as such uninformed drivel is being posted here, I’m liable to stop by and correct it. If that’s “boring” to you, consider the suggestion that internet forums may not be the best place for you to hang out.
Thanks for the advice. I’m
Thanks for the advice. I’m still bored.
perce wrote:
A bored person is a boring person
Sorry, I wasn’t listening.
Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What are you on about?
perce wrote:
Nothing someone with a below-par IQ would be interested in, so don’t worry yourself.
Nope, you’ve lost me there.
Nope, you’ve lost me there. Aren’t you the one that married a milk bottle?
Left_is_for_Losers wrote:
I thought as much, don’t worry.
You’ll have to speak up, I’m
You’ll have to speak up, I’m hard of hearing. Actually, you may be right about my sub- par IQ – when I won the Guardian prize crossword I received as a prize a copy of a book by Alex Bellos called ” Can you Solve My Problems”. I’m ashamed to say there are several problems in there I can’t solve.
perce wrote:
Sure, I SAID…
Rendel Harris wrote:
We were talking about cyclist safety.
That said, if you want to widen the discussion to all road users, you need to account for the fact that the US has 16 times more road than the UK, and as such, drives quite a bit more — almost exactly 10 times the vehicle mileage, in fact.
Could you please answer the
Could you please answer the question as to what you are describing as “wrong as demonstrated”?
Rendel Harris wrote:
The claim that US roads are 4 times more lethal than UK roads. You’re welcome.
dh700 wrote:
3.75 times fatalerer, but what’s .25 amongst friends eh?
The researchers looked at data from 1990 to 2018 for Germany, Denmark, the UK, and the US. John Pucher is a professor emeritus at Rutgers University. Ralph Buehler is a professor and the chair of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech. Both specialize in urban transportation and much of their research focuses on international comparisons, like their latest study.
“The study found that the fatality rate for bike riders is also obscenely high in the US at 6 deaths per 100M kilometers. The UK saw 1.6 bike fatalities, Germany 1, and Denmark 0.9. The US has nearly seven times as many cyclist deaths per mile as Denmark.”
RDaneel wrote:
Only if one ignores the difference in miles traveled.
Nice citation — those two have collaborated on a number of papers, so your sloppy reference is insufficient.
That’s some significant magic considering that no one has ever tracked cycling mileage in the US to any useful degree of accuracy. And doing so is quite difficult, because such a high percentage of US cyclists are children — and not many fourteen year olds have a clue how far they ride.
For the record, in order for that 6/100M km estimate to be correct ( in 2021, for example ), US cyclists would have to ride only 1.5 billion km annually. That’s an average of around 110 km annually, per cyclist. Meanwhile, Strava alone recorded 1.3 billion miles cycled in the US ( cf: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/did-you-run-further-than-the-average-american-this-year-heres-how-you-stack-up ). If you think 90% of miles are Strava’d, you have another think coming. Strava has about 35% fewer total users worldwide than the US has cyclists.
So, you may want to reconsider citing junk science that cannot possibly be in the neighborhood of accurate.
dh700 wrote:
Hilarious! That’s a long winded way of saying you don’t understand stuff. The “junk science” literally takes into account miles travelled, you know the per 100M kilometres bit. Now one could argue that using a per head of population is the better metric but you don’t understand that either so…..
Sloppy reference lol
https://www.calbike.org/urban-transportation-research-bike-fatalities/
And you have of course rebutted my reference to the above study by and I remind you,
John Pucher professor emeritus at Rutgers University and Ralph Buehler professor and the chair of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech, with your back of a fag packet sloppy calculation, more lolz.
I think you’re on a sticky wicket here dear boy!
Surprised you didn’t chuck in a Trumpian “fake news!! rallying cry!. Disappointed!
RDaneel wrote:
Talk about not understanding “stuff”. I just explained — literally in that paragraph — that no one has accurately measured miles-cycled in the US. And they certainly didn’t 33 years ago, at the beginning of the window alleged in that study.
I further illustrated by how much the estimate used in that paper must be wrong.
What is funny about me having to tell you how to cite properly, and even providing you with examples of same? Nothing, in my book.
Are you really so clueless as to think that (any) two academics are infallible? They are not.
So, rather than your rather pathetic attempt at argument-by-authority, why don’t you explain how — exactly — the arithmetic by Pucher and Buehler that you love so much, is possible? In light of, as I said, the incomplete data we have from Strava showing that vastly more miles are ridden than your academic pals claimed.
Not nearly as disappointed as I am, in the quality of your discourse and/or your ability to comprehend the topic at-hand. Perhaps you can continue to cover for those failings by throwing in more ad hominem attacks?
To put all too fine a point on the problem here, which you are unable to understand: Pucher and Buehler claim to have calculated the fatality rate per miles-cycled in the US, despite the latter number not existing. They further claim to have performed this calculation ( going back 33 years no less! ) using “official data”, but here’s what the NHTSA has to say about their own “official data”:
As I said previously, you may want to reconsider the wisdom of citing junk science — particularly that from Messers Pucher and Buehler.
“Now one could argue that
“Now one could argue that using a per head of population is the better metric but you don’t understand that either so…..”
Are you so clueless as to think I wouldn’t rather believe actual professors with backgrounds in the subject being discussed along with many other studies (aka junk science?) that support their research rather than a supercilious bloke on the internet? Well I’ll be damned.
Argument by authority is because neither you nor I are an authority on the subject so how the fucking hell else (apart from your ridiculous back of a fag packet calculations) do you propose to prove US roads are no more dangerous than European ones. And on that bombshell I’m oot!
RDaneel wrote:
I understand the pros and cons of using per capita metrics. What no one likely understands is why you think this comment is relevant, here.
Your veneration of the infallibility of “actual professors” reveals a lot — and lot that you’d probably not like to be revealed. You probably even think that peer review works.
And this is where your entire argument — such as it as — falls apart, because I am an authority on this subject. And I know all of these statistics, most of them by-heart. And I know what can be calculated from extant data, and what cannot be.
And, more to the point, the NHTSA agrees with me, and specifically says that the official data which Pucher and Buehler claim to have used __does not exist__.
So again, if you are going to cite this junk science by Pucher and Buehler, explain to us how it is possible that they performed the calculation they claimed, with “official data” as they claim, when that official data does not exist.
If you cannot do that, and we all know that you cannot, simply admit that you were wrong, and lacked a sufficient grasp on the topic to argue with someone who does possess such.
dh700 wrote:
Ferme ta gueule! A traffic statistics and travel accident expert across multiple countries as well as a materials engineer! Who da thunk it! Are there any realms you’re not expert in!? Oh educating people, definitely not good at that.
And I should bow down to your supposed Authority on the subject despite not a shred of evidence to back up your claim to be such an Authority. But but you “know all of these statistics, most of them by-heart” so that’s really convinced me, yeah probably not.
And your own lovely little link, what no one likely understands is why you think this comment is relevant, here. I didn’t mention peer review, supporting studies isn’t peer review ducky.
Now much as I’ve absolutely loved conversing with you, these Chalfont really do need checking, love to the family.
RDaneel wrote:
The United States is only one country. If you cannot even count to one, you are clearly wasting my time here.
Yes, there are some — and unlike you, I remain quiet on those topics.
As a matter of fact, I have mentored many folks professionally, and taught a bunch of others skills like welding and driving and woodworking. This, however, requires a student who is capable of learning, and unfortunately, you come up well short of that bar — as you repeatedly evidence in this thread.
And by “not a shred”, you apparently mean references to the official source of US traffic data — the NHTSA — which confirms my claim. And also a reference to Strava data that illustrates that your professors cannot have correctly calculated the US fatality rate.
Other than that conclusive proof of the point, “not a shred”.
We are still waiting, by the way, for you to stop with the pathetic ad hominem attacks and make even an attempt at explaining how your Messers Pucher and Buehler could have calculated the US fatality rate from “official data” ( their words ) when the official source of said data confirms that, even today, the required data simply does not exist. And of course, if it doesn’t exist today, it didn’t exist 33 years ago when Pucher and Buehler allege that they were able to start their calculation.
Have you anything to say on the actual topic, or will you just continue to hide behind more desperate attempts at insult?
dh700 wrote:
There are 54 million cyclists in the US, even when using the very broad definition of cyclists as being “those who took part in the activity at least once a year.” Last time I looked I’m pretty sure the UK had rather more than 27 million people in it.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/191204/participants-in-bicycling-in-the-us-since-2006/
Rendel Harris wrote:
No, that’s the number of adult cyclists. An additional 70m or so children cycle.
A whole bunch of different studies have confirmed that around 33% of the US population cycles, and that’s been the case for many years now (IOW, even before pandemic boom).
https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/study-103-7-million-americans-ride-bikes/
Firstly, that’s “34 percent
Firstly, that’s “34 percent of Americans age three or older rode a bike at least once in 2014”. At least once in 365 days, by any reasonable or sensible definition somebody who rides a bike once a year is not “a cyclist” – 2/3 of Americans classified as “cyclists” ride a bike twice a month or less. Secondly, even if every single one of those 103.7 million Americans was actually a regular cyclist, the population of the UK is currently 67.3 million so saying that there are twice as many cyclists in the US as there are people in total in the UK would still be nonsense.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Right, that’s the number of cyclists. Unless you are aware of some magic which prevents occasional cyclists from adding to that fatality total, they necessarily count.
Again, no. Everyone who mounts a bicycle can be killed while doing such, and therefore, are appropriately included in the denominator of that ratio.
In fact, a fairly strong argument can be made that those occasional, and typically inexperienced, cyclists are more likely to wind up in the numerator of that ratio than an average cyclist is.
Again, you are wrong. 103.7 million is nearly a decade old. Both the total population and the percentage of cyclists have increased since then.
The current official US population is 335,910,924. 34% of that is 114,209,714. When we account for the pandemic cycling boom, not to mention the organic growth in outdoor activity over the past decade, we arrive at a number very close to double the UK population — even if that hurts your feelings.
dh700 wrote:
There are 54 million cyclists in the US— dh700 No, that’s the number of adult cyclists. An additional 70m or so children cycle. A whole bunch of different studies have confirmed that around 33% of the US population cycles, and that’s been the case for many years now (IOW, even before pandemic boom). https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/study-103-7-million-americans-ride-bikes/— Rendel Harris
My road safety stats come from the WHO, NHTSA and DfT websites. I follow these pretty closely because it’s part of my job. The US has a poor record on road safety, particularly so for a western developed nation. Shockingly, the road death rate actually increased in the US during the pandemic period, despite the lower traffic volumes due to the restricted movement during the various lockdowns. Data shows that there was an increase in speeding and DUI. This is in direct contract to every other developed antion, where road death rates fell in the lockdown period due to the lower levels of traffic. Some states perform particularly poorly.
OldRidgeback wrote:
Cool story. Not sure if you had a point, but regardless, the explanation for your observation was included in my first comment above — US law enforcement has abdicated their responsibility to enforce traffic law, and it is basically “the Wild West” now.
If you really want some rage
If you really want some rage fodder, here’s some from a local (Florida) rag.
WE ASK: Is It Time To Ban Bikes From Major Roads In Delray Beach, Boca Raton?
Early Morning Crash Critically Injures Two. Should Bike Herds Be Banned?
The Thursday early morning crash that left several bicyclists critically injured after they were hit by the driver of an SUV on A1A continues to be investigated — as it raises new questions about whether bicyclists belong on area roads.
Often a nuisance to drivers as they ride in packs, Florida law does permit these bicyclists to use a roadway when no bike lane exists. But these bike herds rarely ride at the speed of traffic. They often seem to lack any awareness that in a bike-versus-car collision, the car almost always wins.
andystow wrote:
I hate that that newspaper earned money by publishing that garbage — but the comment section is refreshing, and almost universally states that the author and the newspaper should be ashamed of themselves, and that incompetent drivers are the problem.
You can never find a cartoon
You can never find a cartoon about a sealion when you want one…
brooksby wrote:
You’re right, time for me to stop throwing the fish!