CLEARWATER, Fla. — A 19-year-old from Clearwater was taken to the hospital Wednesday evening after he was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Authorities in Clearwater say the collision happened at 6:40 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Gulf to Bay Boulevard just east of Belcher Road.
The bicyclist, Carlos Jimenez Velasquez, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, according to a press release which goes on to say that Velasquez was not in a crosswalk or crossing at an intersection when he was hit.
The driver is said to have stayed on the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
Drivers in the area may have noticed as the eastbound lanes of Gulf to Bay Boulevard were shut down for a couple hours during the investigation.
Back in September, the Clearwater Police Department announced it would launch a safety initiative to cut down on pedestrian crashes like this one. Gulf to Bay Boulevard is one of the roads the initiative is focused on.
The program is a six-month enforcement effort using a contract with the University of North Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation to increase visibility in certain high-traffic areas.
Along with Gulf to Bay Boulevard, police plan to concentrate on Drew Street, Court Street and Missouri Avenue.
The plan is just to give offenders a warning, but officers could also hand out tickets if they believe it's warranted.
The Clearwater Police Department's contract will provide them with a little over $27,000 for increased patrols between Oct. 1 and May 10 of next year.