The Tampa Bay Times reports that a cyclist was killed in an early morning Tampa Bay crash.
The accident occurred Sunday morning in Tampa.
57-year-old Reginald Knight was headed north on 26th Street towards the intersection of Columbus Drive. At about 4:30 a.m., the driver of a Toyota sedan was traveling east on Columbus Drive, approaching the same intersection.
The driver of the Toyota crashed into Knight. Knight was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the Toyota was also injured in the crash.
Police did not release the name of the bicyclist or the name of the driver. However, Knight’s sister confirmed to media sources that her brother was the cyclist.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), cites Florida as having some of the most dangerous urban areas for those riding bicycles. Specifically, the Tampa Bay metro area is the most dangerous. According to NHTSA data, the number of cyclists that were killed by motor vehicles rose 34% between 2010 to 2016. Further, between 2007-2016, the fatality rate for bicycle riders in Florida was 54% higher than the next-deadliest state.
Respectively, Florida, California, and Texas have the highest number of bicyclist fatalities nationwide. In 2017, the number of fatal cyclist accidents was 116, which is the lowest number since 2010.