Florida Bicyclist Killed By Hit-and-Run Driver in Sanford

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 10, 2011

Accident investigators looking into a fatal hit-and-run bicycle accident that occurred early in the morning of August 28 say that the victim’s body had been lying on the shoulder of Monroe Road for nearly two hours before it was found. Florida Highway Patrol officials say the 36-year-old victim rode his bicycle on Highway 17-92 for 14 miles in each direction nearly every day on his way to and from work. FHP troopers said that the owner of a pickup truck that struck and killed the bicyclist had turned the vehicle over to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office sometime later that afternoon. No charges have been filed against the 54-year-old truck owner in connection with the accident, but troopers called the man a “person of interest” in the case.

Troopers also said that when they tried to interview the man about the accident, he requested an attorney. Accident investigators say the victim had stopped at a convenience store and was on his way home, riding his bike in southbound lane of Monroe Road near U.S. Highway 17-92 in Sanford when he was struck and fatally injured. A FHP spokesperson said the pickup was also traveling southbound in the same lane when the bicyclist was struck and killed. His body was found around 2:12 a.m. by a Road Ranger, one of the drivers who patrol high-traffic roads to help disabled motorists and accident victims. The accident investigation is still underway, and anyone who may have witnessed the accident or has any information is asked to contact Cpl. Mark Kuczynski at the DeLand FHP station at 386-736-5350 ext. 303.

Tragic accidents involving motor vehicles and bicyclists happen far too often in Florida, and the majority of cases involve a driver engaging in one or more kinds of negligent behavior such as the following:

• Drinking and driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Talking or texting on a cell phone while behind the wheel
• Speeding
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Deliberately trying to intimidate the bicyclist with his or her vehicle
• Disobeying a traffic signal
• Other negligent behavior that puts bicyclists, pedestrians and everyone else on the road at risk for serious injury

If you are a bicyclist who has been struck and injured by a negligent driver, you may be entitled to receive damages to compensate you for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering and other costs. If you would like to speak with an Orlando personal injury lawyer to learn more about your rights and legal options, call James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.