Gainesville police investigating fatal hit-and-run crash that left a bicyclist dead

Andrew Caplan, The Gainesville Sun
·2 min read

Gainesville police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that ended Monday morning with a bicyclist being killed.

The incident occurred around the 3300 block of South Main Street in Gainesville, not far from Sweetwater Wetlands Park.

Police responded to a call around 9:40 a.m. after a local resident observed debris from a vehicle and bicycle along the west side of the roadway and sidewalk, according to a GD news release. The person also noticed a body in the wooded area nearby.

Fatal crash trends: Pedestrians and bicyclists keep getting hit by cars in Gainesville. What's being done?

Another recent crash: FHP: Man, 26, hit and killed by vehicle while walking in Newberry Sunday night

Plus: Pedestrian dies Friday after being hit by vehicle on West University Avenue in Gainesville

The bicyclist was pronounced dead on the scene by local the responding fire rescue squad.

As of Monday, investigators revealed that the bicyclist was traveling southbound in the curbside lane when he was struck from behind by a silver Volvo also traveling south.

The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Police said Tuesday afternoon they are looking for a 2016- 2022 Volvo XC90 SUV with an unknown plate

Over the past six years, data from the city of Gainesville shows that more than 1,000 bicyclists and pedestrians have been in crashes, with at least 840 resulting in injuries.

Those figures also show an average of seven deaths each year.

Bicyclists cross Williston Road at the dangerous Hawthorne Trail crossing in Gainesville on Jan. 16. Several accidents have occurred at this crossing, including a woman who was seriously injured while jogging last month.
Bicyclists cross Williston Road at the dangerous Hawthorne Trail crossing in Gainesville on Jan. 16. Several accidents have occurred at this crossing, including a woman who was seriously injured while jogging last month.

Other fatal crashes

A week earlier, on Nov. 20, another pedestrian was killed by a vehicle while trying to cross West University Avenue near the Seagle Building in Gainesville. The person was also pronounced dead on the scene after first responders unsuccessfully attempted to render aid.

The next day, Alachua County sheriff's deputies responded to a fatal crash with another vehicle and pedestrian in Newberry near Pearl Street. The 26-year-old man was also pronounced dead on the scene.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville hit-and-run crash kills bicycle rider on South Main Street