Boca Raton Firefighter Killed on Bicycle

Boca Raton Cyclist John Wilson died after being struck by an SUV, while riding his bicycle. Mr Wilson, a firefighter, was struck by an SUV eight days after his 50th birthday.

Wilson, who lived in Jupiter, was off duty and riding his bicycle on Monday when he was hit by a Chevy Trailblazer, police said. He was riding east on Indiantown Road, in the crosswalk of Maplewood Drive, when he was hit and killed by driver Myron Umbel, 66, of Jupiter, who was turning east onto Indiantown, police said.

As reported by The Sun Sentinal, Mr. Wilson was remembered Friday by about 1,000 mourners, including police and firefighters from throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Jupiter. They paid homage to a gourmet chef who filled their minds with memories and their bellies with delicious food — especially his jambalaya.

As a Miami Personal Injury Lawyer that specializes in Bicycle accidents,
I have said, and continue to say that Florida is the most dangerous state to ride a bicycle. My opinion is backed by the Transportation For America and Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, which found that Florida was the most dangerous state to cycle in with 119 bicycle related fatalities in 2007.

While Florida is the most dangerous state to ride, the most dangerous place to ride your bike is just outside your door. The sidewalk is considered by most cyclists the most dangerous place to ride a bike.

The sidewalk is hazardous because there is a greater chance of colliding with another cyclist or a pedestrian. Collisions with a car are more common too because drivers aren’t watching the sidewalk and bikers ride down curbs and driveways without looking. Not only is sidewalk cycling twice as dangerous than cycling in the street but it becomes four times as dangerous to cycle when you are going against traffic, because most motorist will look only to their left when awaiting to make a right hand turn and will not see a cyclist approaching from their right side.