CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The Cape Coral Police Department is investigating after a crash critically injured a bicyclist.
Officers said it happened Tuesday around 7 p.m. at SW 38th Street and SW 15th Place. They report a man on an electric bicycle failed to stop at a stop sign while speeding, and then hit an SUV.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price explain concerns from bikers in the area:
At this time, the man is in critical condition, according to the police department.
Neighbors tell Fox 4 limited visibility creates dangerous conditions for both cyclists and drivers.
Bill Whally, a who bikes more than 20 miles daily in the area, points to the intersection's design as problematic.
"Over here you've got this fence and you've only got about 20 feet from the fence line to the actual road so if any car coming this way, they're not gonna see the car or the actual bike to clear that fence," Whally said.
Footage of the crash shows the e-bike rider went through a stop sign before colliding with an SUV. Neighbors say the rider was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Whally witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
"At 7:00, there was still had the roadblock off. The fire truck was here. The ambulance was here. There's a couple of police cars," Whally said.
Cape Coral Police provided the following statement:
E-bike users must follow the same rules as regular bicycles. This includes riding in designated bike lanes, obeying traffic signals and signs, yielding to pedestrians, and riding responsibly. Always wear a helmet and stay aware of your surroundings to ensure everyone's safety.
Whally, who says he follows these safety protocols, offered advice for other cyclists.
"I can always hear traffic, which is half of the battle, right? And basically, don't be talking on your phone or anything like that. Pay attention to where you're going, especially down at intersection," Whally said.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 104 e-bike-related fatalities occurred in the United States from 2017 through 2022. The leading causes were crashes with motor vehicles (58 deaths) and control issues such as colliding with fixed objects like gates, signs, and posts (16 deaths).
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