GULSTREAM, Fla. — Hundreds of bicyclists joined together Saturday morning advocating for safer roads in asking local and state leaders to bring change.
They showed where a group of eight cyclists in the town of Gulf Stream were struck by a vehicle Thursday morning.
Delray Medical Center spokesman Andrew Lofholm said as of Saturday, three cyclists remain in the hospital: two are in critical condition and one is in serious condition.
Delray Beach
3 bicyclists remain in hospital after crash in Gulf Stream
One of the victims, Carlos Martinez, attended the rally. He was in the back of the group Thursday and was not badly injured.
"Next thing, I saw was the car passing by very close,” Martinez said. “I got minor scratches. And then everybody was on the floor.”
He said the painful memory has not gone away.
"I keep having that car in my mind, like all day," Martinez said. "You don’t feel safe anymore."
Although he hasn’t ridden his bike since the crash, he joined the group to stand in solidarity.
"I came today because I feel like we have to create awareness,” Martinez said. “We want things to change. I want to give my part to change the community.”
According to an FHP report, just before 7 a.m. Thursday, a 77-year-old woman crashed her car into a group of eight bicyclists along North Ocean Boulevard, just north of Delray Beach. The driver and six cyclists were taken to the hospital. Three cyclists were trauma alerts at Delray Medical Center.
The crash is another aching reminder for Peggy Tomasso and her husband, Mike, who were both involved in a bike-involved crash in 2021.
"We were riding single file together, one in front of the other," Tomasso said. "I was hit first, just out of nowhere and then I hit him. I went into the windshield and actually rode over his shoulder.”
The couple brought the remnants of their bikes to show others how dangerous cycling in the area could be. They’re also advocating for safer roads.
"I’d like to see bike lanes on all these roads, safer roads," Tomasso said. "There are areas where this road is crumbled and just falling."
The group is also asking for short-term solutions, such as increased awareness from drivers and markings on the ground that show they are shared roadways.
"We need to look for some immediate recognition for just how fragile all of the cyclists are out here," Cameron Oster said. "If we get hit by a car, there’s a high likelihood that we will die."
Oster said he appreciates how many people turned out Saturday morning and will continue to push for change for all cyclists.