Winfred Howell, a 65 year old cyclist died in Delray Community Hospital on Monday.
Mr. Howell suffered head injuries while crossing eastbound State Road 441, about 500 feet north of Lake Worth Road, when Mr. Howell’s bike struck a 2002 Hyundai driven by Iris Smith.
As reported by the Sun Sentinel, a witness traveling right behind the Hyundai told traffic investigators that Howell’s bike came out from between two cars in the center lane and drove into the right front side of the Hyundai.
Howell was thrown from the bike and he landed in the center lane, according to the witness.
Although intersections represent a relatively small portion of a cyclist’s travel route, they are where a cyclist is most at risk of getting hit by a car or otherwise involved in a car accident. Only 11% of bicycle accidents involve a collision with a car; but of these, 45% take place in intersections. (Contrary to popular fears, the majority of bicycle accidents — 59% — involve only the cyclist, who loses control of the bike and crashes.)
As a Miami bicycle accident lawyer who specializes in Bicycle accidents, and is an avid cyclist, I have represented a number of accident victims that were injured at intersection collisions.
Intersections pose a special risk to cyclists for many reasons, but the primary reason is that an intersection accident will usually involve high speed by either the cyclist or motorist. The most common intersection collision involves a scenario where the either the cyclist or motorist runs a red light, and the cyclist will either hit the side of the vehicle, or be hit on the side by the vehicle. These types of accidents often result in serious injuries. Thus, the best way for a cyclist to avoid an intersection collision is to practice defensive skills, and stop at every intersection beforere entering.
Mark Kaire has been practicing law in Miami for nearly 30 years. He is dedicated to helping the injured people of Miami receive compensation. Mr. Kaire has been blogging on Miami’s legal issues for many years.