77-Year-Old Bicyclist Struck and Killed by an Electric Scooter in St. Petersburg

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 10, 2021

A 22-year-old individual was apprehended and taken into custody earlier this week for his alleged involvement in a deadly collision that claimed the life of a 77-year-old bicyclist along 18th Avenue North in Pinellas County, according to detectives with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Preliminary crash reports from the investigative officers with the St. Petersburg Police Department indicate that it was close to 12:10 p.m. last Thursday, November 4, 2021, when 77-year-old Alvera B. Minutello was riding her bicycle in the westbound direction of 18th Avenue North, against the flow of traffic but within the curb line boundaries. As she continued her ride toward the Publix grocery store located on 66th Street North, 22-year-old Tyler Brady approached the area from the eastern direction of 18th Avenue driving a dual-motor electric- scooter.

Local authorities stated that they believe the 77-year-old bicyclist was “barely pedaling” or had stopped along the curb of the road in order to allow oncoming traffic to pass by before crossing the intersection. It was while Minutello was paused that the young scooter driver, who was traveling at roughly 17-18 mph at the time, entered the vicinity of the bicyclist from approximately 80 feet away and, without any attempts to slow down or avoid an accident, he crashed into her head-on.

Pinellas County emergency responders rushed to the scene of the grisly accident and immediately transported the 77-year-old woman to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. She fought to stay alive for a few days before her life-threatening injuries, which included multiple broken bones and a bleeding brain stem, proved to be far too severe for her to recover from and she died Monday morning. The scooter driver was unharmed in the incident.

An anonymous eye-witness who initially called 9-1-1 to report the bicycle accident said they overheard Brady swearing and causing a “calamity” right after the accident occurred. “I heard the kid cussing and he was all upset saying, ‘This is bull. This is bull. I was just going to work. I was just going to work. She should’ve moved,’ she told police.

Shortly before he was arrested on Tuesday, the 22-year-old suspect said that he did not mean to cause the fatal crash, however, after he was Mirandized, Brady allegedly admitted to “driving straight into her and not taking any evasive action to avoid or minimize the impact,” stated the arrest affidavit. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail and has been charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence.

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.