Cyclist Crashes Near Boynton Beach Inlet

Before I fill you in on the details, the cyclist is okay. Not a fatality, unlike some recent bike vs. vehicle incidents in the south Florida area.

Bike Diva Recovery Ride

I was doing an easy recovery ride on my tri bike this morning. My coach, Matt Goforth, of On Your Mark Performance Center, said I was supposed to do a nice, easy ride, and stay in heart rate zones 1-2 most of the way, and not go above zone 3. In other words, I was supposed to keep my heart rate at under 153 BPM.

It was a bit windy out there this morning, as I was heading north, starting from Linton Blvd. bridge in Delray Beach, I just wasn't feeling it this morning. Bit of a cross/head wind making getting/staying in the aero bars a bit dicey. Spent most of the ride sitting up, riding the cow horns, not the aero bars. Wish I had my road bike instead of the tri bike.

To Ride or Not to Ride

I originally planned on going all the way to the Palm Beach Inlet, but my inner chicken, or maybe it was my spider senses, kept saying, turn around, go home, today just isn't your day to be on the bike. So I was trying to talk myself into doing a shorter ride. Maybe turn around at Lake Worth Pier, or maybe turn around at Boynton Inlet, before I finally decided to turn around just before Boynton Inlet.

My mother-in-law (hey Anne!) flew into Jupiter, from Surf City, NJ a few days ago, to visit friends of hers. We are going up there this afternoon to pick her up, and bring her back to Delray. So I probably didn't have the time to go all the way to Palm Beach Inlet today anyways.

Rider Down But Okay

As I was getting towards the last few condos, before you make the right turn to go up to the Inlet, by the beach, I noticed a mini pickup truck, in a strange position in the road. A cyclist was sitting next to the truck, in the middle of the road, and his mangled bike was next to him. I pulled up to the accident scene, to make sure someone had called 911. A lady walking along A1A was there when the accident happened, and she had already called 911 when I got there.

Apparently a women pulled in front of the cyclist, and the cyclist lost control and ran into the pick up truck? Not sure if that's what happened, I didn't see another vehicle, besides the mini pickup truck, and a guy was driving that vehicle. Guess the lady didn't hit the cyclist, so technically not a hit-and-run, but leaving the scene of an accident is illegal isn't it? Or maybe she was clueless and didn't know she cut the cyclist off and caused him to crash?

Don't Shoot Me Officer

A police officer arrived, shortly after I got there. The officer approached the cyclist and then we heard a loud bang. At first I thought the officers gun misfired, but it was the cyclist's front tire that exploded. The cyclist looked okay, scraped and bloody left knee. But his helmet apparently got knocked off in the crash. He might have a concussion, which would explain why he was still sitting in the middle of the road - he seemed a bit dazed and confused.

The officer managed to get him on his feet, and over to the sidewalk, then moved the guys bike out of the road. Fire Rescue arrived just then, so I left. Traffic was baking up, not a lot of room for extra bodies, and I kind of felt like I was getting in the way. My inner gossip diva wanted to stay and find out all the details of the crash, but I left that for the professionals to work out.

RIP Road Bike

So the cyclist, besides a scrapped knee, and possibly mild concussion, looks okay. But his bike is history. R.I.P. Giant carbon fiber road bike. It was in pieces, like a jig-saw puzzle. Guess when carbon fiber fails its catastrophic. Cyclist is lucky he doesn't resemble his bike.

If anyone hears anymore details about this accident, let me know, or post the info. up to Face Book.

Take care and ride safe,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Comments

[ksteinhoff]

My son's general manager had a car turn in front of him last week. He managed to put a dent in the car with his helmet. No serious injuries and the driver was cited.

Last month was the third anniversary of my riding partner's crash on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic trail that fractured her skull in five places.

You can read an account of the accident and what her life is like today here.

http://www.palmbeachbiketours.com/marys-life-3-years-after-her-crash/

Y'all be careful out there.