ORLANDO, Fla. — A 60-year-old Melbourne man riding an electric bicycle was seriously hurt Friday afternoon in Orlando when an Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy, headed to a call with lights and siren on, struck him with a patrol car.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 on Rio Grande Avenue, a short distance south of Grand Street. The sheriff’s office put the time at about 3:52 p.m., while troopers logged it at 3:59 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol is handling the investigation, and the sheriff’s office also confirmed the deputy’s involvement.
Troopers said the deputy was behind the wheel of an unmarked Toyota Camry and both the car and the e-bike were heading north. The rider was in front, using the outside bike lane. As the deputy moved into the left-turn lane with emergency equipment running, the cyclist cut left out of the bike lane and into that same turn lane, putting him directly in front of the car. The front of the Camry hit the bike.
Paramedics took the rider to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries described as serious. He was the only person hurt. The deputy was not hurt and stayed at the scene after the collision.
The sheriff’s office has not released further details about the call the deputy was answering. No charges or citations had been announced as of Saturday, and the highway patrol said the case remains under investigation as troopers work to piece together exactly how the deputy’s car and the bike came together in the turn lane.
Section: More Orlando FL crime news
Filed under: Orlando FL Traffic News
