It was just the second day of school and a teacher was turning into Lakeside Junior High School in Orange Park, Tuesday, August 24. Unfortunately, the teacher struck bicyclist, Joshua Gallettan, 33, who was heading south on the sidewalk. The accident happened at about 8:20 a.m. along Moody Avenue, according to an article on News4Jax.com. The bicyclist was taken to Orange Park Medical Center, and then airlifted to Shands Jacksonville in critical condition. The teacher was identified as Marilyn Duke, 61, who was not injured in the accident. Mr. Gallettan had no connection to the school. Since the accident happened about an hour before the start of school, it is not believed that any students witnessed the collision.
Our prayers go out to the family of Mr. Gallettan for his swift and complete recovery.
Pedestrian & Bicyclist Collisions
Share the Road is the name of a Florida campaign to make drivers aware they are not the only ones who use our roadways. Jacksonville has a noticeable lack of bike lanes and sidewalks. Unlike other major eastern cities, Florida planners have not always thought about any form of transportation other than the automobile. That has not only frustrated bikers, but led to fatality and serious bicycle injury accidents in Florida.
According to statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 604 pedestrians and bicyclists were involved in accidents with automobiles and 29 were killed in 2009. That number has increased from 566 injuries in 2008.
Nationally, a dozen people are killed every day when they opt to walk or take a bicycle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The family of Mr. Gallettan and other bicyclers who are injured would be well-advised to contact a Florida bicycle accident attorney to make sure their rights are preserved following an accident with an automobile.
