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3 bicyclists remain in hospital after crash in Gulf Stream

Advocates calling for cyclist community to come together Saturday for safer roads
Posted at 6:22 PM, Jan 05, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-05 18:22:50-05

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Delray Medical Center confirmed three patients are in the hospital, two are in critical condition and one is in serious condition.

This news comes a day after a car crashed into a group of cyclists on Thursday along A1A in Gulf Stream.

"The bicyclists did absolutely nothing wrong, you could see that the car came from the other side of the road and veered completely left into them," said Jeramy Pritchett, who said he knows several of the victims.

Pritchett said one of his friends has a broken pelvis, leg and shoulder and went into surgery on Friday and a married couple is also recovering.

"I was told that the husband was close to passing but seems to be stable at this point and the wife I believe had to have surgery as well today," Pritchett said.

While on assignment along A1A a casual rider crashed her bike after hitting a broken part of the road.

"Do you have trouble dodging cars sometimes?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.

"I wasn't having trouble in Delray but then up here, thank God the car behind me stopped," said the woman who didn't want to identify herself.

Jeramy Pritchett knows several of the bicyclists Gulf Stream 01052024.png
Jeramy Pritchett, who said he knows several of the victims, explains how there is a need for better safety for bicyclists.

Her wrists and knee were scraped up and was too shaken up to finish her ride.

"What do you hope the future is especially for this road?" asked Lopez.

"Just that there's a wider bike lane and less spaces to fall," said the woman.

Pritchett said the stretch of A1A in Gulf Stream is particularly dangerous, because there's no designated bike path.

"In this area, when there technically isn't a bike lane or a shoulder even here," Pritchett said, "the bike riders are allowed to ride next to each other; they're allowed to take over the road, just like a car would."

Bicyclists Gulf Stream 01052024
Bicyclists talk about the riding conditions at Gulf Stream.

He said safety is a two-way street and that cyclists also need to respect drivers.

Pritchett is now calling on the cyclist community to come together Saturday morning to push for safety updates on the roads.

"When you're in a car and there's a bike rider, if the bike hits your car, they are not going to hurt you," Pritchett said, "but if the car hits a bike rider the chances are they could kill that person."

The cyclist group plans to meet up the road at Gulf Stream Park at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Attendees are encouraged to wear bike kits and signs.