Bicyclist seriously injured in Bonita Springs hit-and-run

Reporter: Breana Ross Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
The scene of a hit-and-run on Bonita Beach Road. Credit: Florida Highway Patrol

A Naples man was seriously injured by an unknown driver in a hit-and-run crash in Bonita Springs Tuesday morning. The search is on for that driver.

Investigators say a 67-year-old man was riding his bike along Bonita Beach Road near Valley drive when he was hit. The driver then left the scene.

But, this isn’t the first time this has happened along Bonita Beach Road.

Dan Shorts bikes along Bonita Beach Road every day and he knows just how busy, and dangerous, it can get.

“People are speeding, you know it’s beach traffic morning until evening in both directions and it’s definitely a scary place to be if you’re not an experienced biker and even if you are,” Shorts said.

So, he says, it’s no surprise to hear a driver hit a biker early Tuesday morning and didn’t stop.

“It’s terrible. It really is,” he said. “Hopefully they were even aware that they did it.”

Troopers say the 67-year-old was biking along this road when the side mirror of a passing Dodge Ram Pickup truck clipped him. FHP says that the biker wasn’t wearing a helmet and sustained serious injuries. He was then transported to a local area hospital.

Tom McDonald is a visitor from Minnesota and also a bicyclist. “This is a really busy road so I try not to ride on the street. I go south on the sidewalk,” McDonald said.

George Taylor, from Connecticut, says bikers and drivers both need to do their part. “Bikers can be reckless and drivers can be reckless so it’s a balance of both groups being cautious and respectful of the other,” Taylor said.

The City of Bonita Springs plans to provide a new roadway near Bonita Beach and U.S. 41 to lessen some of the traffic. That road would accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. A city spokesperson says they’re working to get permission to start construction.

Investigators say the Dodge Ram is a 2013 to 2019 model, 4500 to 5500 series, of unknown color. Anyone with information is asked to call the FHP at (239) 938-1800 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.

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