Bicyclist Hit By Car
August 10, 2016
A bicyclist was critically injured when hit by a vehicle in Beulah Tuesday evening.
The adult male bicyclist was struck by a Honda car on West Nine Mile Road at Beulah Road about 6:30 p.m. The man was transported by Escambia County EMS as a “trauma alert” to Sacred Heart Hospital. An update on the man and his condition was not available.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released.
The Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the accident.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Bicyclist Hit By Car”
I agree with Anne. Cyclists should ride facing traffic. So much easier for us to judge how to go around them.
There should be a bus that comes to Beulah.they have one for cantonment and century.
Have traveled this road for 30 years. And I know it is not always the motorist fault. Have had to stop my car to a dead stop on a major hwy because a cyclist refues to use the bike lane provided cars coming from opposite lane are traveling 55mph plus you couldn’t go around unless you want to hit head on with another vehicle. So don’t always be so quick to blame until you know the whole story it states accident is under investigation.
MJ04, as a driver, I agree with you that there are many distracted drivers out there – I see it daily. However, I also see many bicyclists and pedestrians doing unsafe things as well. I frequently see bicyclists riding the wrong direction in the bicycle lane (when there is one), riding at night without lights and/or inadequate reflectors, and ignoring traffic signals and signage. I also frequently see pedestrians walking on the road (not beside it) with their backs to traffic, walking at night wearing dark clothes, and often with their faces glued to their phone – not paying a bit of attention to what it going on around them. The point being that everyone (not just cars) need to follow the rules, use common sense, and – above all – pay attention. And, like other have stated, I’m hoping and praying that the bicyclist will be OK.
I rode a bicycle for years and years out there on the roads with no special bike lane, nothing had to be marked, and cars weighed 3 times what they do now. The difference is this idiotic rule stating bikes have to go with the flow of traffic! When bikes were facing traffic, there were none of these problems. Now we have the drivers reading text messages and running onto the shoulder of the road while we have the one on the bicycle with earphones on, probably blaring music so they cannot hear a car coming up from behind. Is this a recipe for disaster or what?
@Wayne
Cant wait to see where they spend this projected $16,405,557.60
Wayne since you know the amount of money that is going to be generated by the tax increase you should have paid attention to the article .It’s going to be used to man fire departments. That’s all the fire tax money can be used for.
I ride a bike every day down 9 mile road to work. I cannot tell you how many times I have had a vehicle run me off the road due to the driver being on the phone or just not paying attention. And I am not joy riding. I am going to work! Please pay attention people. I am just trying to go to work just like everyone else.
Bike paths are not the answer. Just the other day while driving my vehicle on gulf beach hwy in my designated lane. I had to slow down and wait for my opportunity to go around a fool on a bicycle who chose to ride in the vehicle lane rather than the designated paved bicycle lane.
First and foremost I hope the person is ok. Escambia county can come up with the funds by raising taxes, which they are about to do “fire protection non-ad valorem”
Cant wait to see where they spend this projected $16,405,557.60 .
As a cyclist who rides on nine mile and other roads in the area where there is a bike shoulder (you can identify the bike shoulder by the painted symbol all along the road), I can say that I have encountered people not even trying to watch the road (checking their phone, putting on makeup, etc.), and also people who will intentionally pull their vehicle into my path when they get stopped in traffic and see me about to proceed past them in the bike shoulder). The real question here is how is it that the driver did not see the bicyclist? Probably only one true answer DISTRACTED DRIVING….Stop reading text messages, and emails, or looking at your facebook when you are behind the wheel of a MOVING vehicle. If the investigation concludes the driver of this car was at fault, I hope they throw the book, kitchen sink, and every other appliance at him/her. Assuming the cyclist survives, I hope he/she takes the driver’s insurance company for a boat ride…It’s time to make a serious example out of driver’s who fail to obey the laws regarding cyclists (3 foot minimum passing distance is state law).
Prayers for all involved
Automobiles are just one of the approved users of the public roadways. Utility crews, road maintenance crews, survey crews,etc., all have to work within the roadways and deserve the drivers’ full attention. The privilege of driving on the public roadway does not relieve the driver of the responsibility of also applying the brake when an obstacle occurs. Many drivers feel that the driving lane is their personal possession. I’ve had to work in the roadway and have had to scrambled to avoid oncoming cars. Drivers, pat attention.
It is doubtful that a bike path would have prevented this accident. The man was probably not riding for pleasure/exercise but rather for transportation. And why do they ride on busy roads like nine mile? Same reason – transportation. Some folks don’t have cars and or drivers licenses. Sometimes this is self inflicted i.e. lost license due to several DUIs. Other times it’s due to no fault of their own i.e. could not pass the driving test for medical reasons like color blindness. In any case, they use bicycles for transportation and a pleasure path like they have in milton will not suffice as a travel path for these people. Please be careful and realise that the bicyclist has full right to share the road just like the motorist and that it is the responsibility of drivers to yield right of way to them like pedestrians.
The amount of money needed to provide bike paths for riders would be in the tens of millions of dollars. They would have to raise taxes to accomplish this. Bikes have the right to ride on any road they choose. Drivers have to slow down and pay attention. I have drivers almost run me over while I’m walking all because they are not paying attention. Most on cell phone or doing other things. I walk facing traffic and never walk in front of a car when crossing the street. If I didn’t pay attention I wouldn’t be here today.
Gee Steve, how else would you get from point a to b if that is only mode of transportation
I’m sorry this happened and hope this person will recover.
what i don’t understand is why people ride their bikes on a dangerous busy road like Nine Mile.
Praying for this man. Also wondering why Escambia County can’t come up with enough funds to provide a bike path. I know people who drive all the way over to Milton to ride. Maybe an organization could start an Escambia Cnty bike path.