Bicyclist killed when car enters bike lane, then flees the scene, Florida cops say

A bicyclist was killed when a car entered a bike lane and then fled the scene, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The bicyclist was traveling east on a highway in Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando, when a vehicle crossed into the bike lane for an “unknown reason,” according to a news release from highway patrol.

The car struck the bicycle just after 6 a.m. on Sept. 19 and fled. The bicyclist was pronounced dead on scene. Authorities have not released the bicyclist’s identity.

Investigators found pieces of a front headlight at the site of the collision and are now looking for a “lighter color” Ford F-150 that may have been involved, the release says.

In 2019, Florida had 161 fatalities of cyclists and riders of other non-motorized, pedal-powered vehicles, the highest of any state, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cyclist fatalities made up about 5% of all traffic fatalities in the state that year.

The state with the second-highest number of cyclist fatalities in 2019 was California with 133 fatalities, making up 3.7% of all traffic deaths.

This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Bicyclist killed when car enters bike lane, then flees the scene, Florida cops say."