One of our local summer residents, Dean Davis age 84, was killed while riding his bike this weekend. He was struck by a car on a road I ride all the time. Dean was an Ironman triathlete and finished 2nd in his age group at Kona. He once told me that he was a desk jockey until he retired at age 55 when he moved to a grey ghetto in Florida. They ran short tri races out of the community, a swim in the pool, bike around the complex and a short run to finish it off. He fell in love with the sport. He said his great advantage was having absolutely no wear and tear on his body because he did nothing until his late 50s. lol My condolences to his family. We lost a good 50 plus-er this weekend.

https://www.citizen-times.com/article...nclick_check=1

https://www.news-press.com/article/20...illed-NC-crash

Very sad

Sorry to hear about this.

Very sad, prayers for his family.

Bill

Sad to hear, my condolence.

Marc

That's very sad. Haven't read the article. Was he hit by a tourist or local?

Crap. So sad. Almond is where we've stayed several times in that area. I've never ridden my road bike there, but spent lots of time on my mtn. bike at Tsali. Crap.

By a local. IDK the circumstances of the incident other than what is stated in the article. However, I have noticed lately in the morning and evening the sun angle is low enough to blind a driver in the light transition zones. Not sure exactly where this happened so I can't say whether that might have been a contributing factor or not.

This is sad news. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

I never get into a car or truck without a good pair of polarized sunglasses. It's just basic safety equipment and is probably more important than checking one's lights for functionality (required for commercial drivers with every vehicle or trailer change).

Sad to hear

Y'all be careful out there.

We also lost one with another in critical condition that happened a week ago Saturday. They were an engaged couple riding on a tandem along a beach causeway. The male, who worked in a local bike shop, died a few days after the crash and the female is still in the hospital. It was a hit and run and they were left there for dead. A police officer happened to pass by and found the bodies lying in the street. There were no witnesses but the driver turned himself in the following Monday. There was a memorial ride of about 200 cyclist on Saturday to bring awareness to the local government to improve conditions for cyclist in the Tampa Bay Area.

Makes me mad as HELL! I'm really sick and tired of this kind of negligence/inattention! Happens all too often, and not just to cyclists. There are just way too many reports every year in the U.S. about some motorist on the road/highway that seems to somehow fixate on what's on the shoulder, or just drift all the way from their lane onto the shoulder and hit someone changing a flat tire, or that is stopped by the Troopers, or someone just tending to a disabled vehicle, or a just riding a bicycle.
DRUNK, FIXATED, TIRED, DISTRACTED, HIGH, POOR JUDGEMENT, SPEEDING, TEXTING, TALKING ON THE PHONE, WHATEVER THE REASON... I'M SICK OF IT!!! It didn't have to happen.

My prayers and thoughts with his family and friends.

Such pointless deaths are always sorrowful and difficult to accept.