Patch reported recently that a man was killed last Monday afternoon on Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast near Sarasota, in a tragic accident in which he was hit by a trolley while riding his bicycle on the island.
According to officials with the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident took place on Monday, February 8, 2021 between 1:25 p.m. and 1:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) at the intersection of Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point Road on Siesta Key. A bicyclist, 74 years of age, was riding south on Midnight Pass Road, while simultaneously a trolley operated by Sarasota County Area Transit, a local mass transit organization, was also headed south on the same roadway, driven by a woman 42 years of age. For unknown reasons still under investigation, the man turned in front of the trolley as they entered the intersection, allegedly violating the trolley’s legal right of way. The bicyclist was ejected from his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by Sarasota County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol has not released the names or further details of either the bicyclist or the trolley driver. The incident is being investigated by the FHP’s Traffic Homicide Unit.