Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

A LeeTran driver, Jeffrey Phillips, found himself in legal trouble after his involvement in a hit-and-run incident, which was captured on the bus’s surveillance cameras. Phillips, a 68-year-old resident of Cape Coral, was granted release on August 25th upon posting a $25,000 bond. He now faces a charge related to leaving the scene of a serious injury crash.

The incident unfolded on the morning of August 24th, approximately at 6:30 a.m., when Florida Highway Patrol troopers received reports of a hit-and-run along Metro Parkway, near Metro Plex Drive. Upon arrival at the scene, troopers discovered the victim’s damaged bicycle alongside an injured cyclist who had been en route to work. The collision had resulted in the cyclist losing consciousness, as detailed in the arrest report.

Shortly before 9 a.m., LeeTran Bus Headquarters took action by contacting the sheriff’s office to report the incident. Their representative disclosed that Phillips, their driver, had confessed to intentionally striking a cyclist and had failed to stop as he continued toward Bonita Springs. In response to this revelation, authorities promptly made their way to the transit company’s headquarters.

Florida’s official nickname is the Sunshine State. Its beautiful beaches and luscious state parks draw thousands each year to enjoy the great outdoors. This may sound like Florida is therefore the perfect place to go for a bike ride. Unfortunately, however, Florida is ranked as the most dangerous state in the country to ride a bicycle.

According to a recent study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, bicyclists in Florida as far more likely to be killed than in any other state in the US. The NHTSA study looked at the number of deaths resulting from traffic crashes between 2007 to 2016, and the results were surprising. For Florida, many, if not most, of the state’s cities dominate the study’s rankings as the most dangerous for cyclists.

Unlike many cities in Europe, like London or Amsterdam, metro areas in the United States are not built with cyclists in mind. Most cities in Europe specifically build their infrastructure to include modes of transportation that do not revolve around cars. For example, the European cities are better at including independent bicycle lanes or creating safer crosswalks for pedestrians.