Shocking footage of Florida collision shows moment group ride hit by driver of SUV

Shocking footage obtained by road.cc shows a 77-year-old driver of an SUV on the wrong side of the road in Florida "well-above the speed limit" and disoriented for "unknown reasons" going head-on into a group of eight cyclists.

The cyclists were riding two abreast at the break of dawn yesterday in Gulf Stream, a beach town in Palm Beach County, Florida on the A1A — a two-lane road with no hard shoulder and a 35mph speed limit. They were headed north when suddenly, the driver came at them head-on from the opposite side in the wrong lane and went straight ahead with her Kia Soul without slowing down.

CBS12 News reports that Florida Highway Patrol said that the driver first collided with one of the riders, a 43-year-old man, as well as the rest of the group of cyclists. The man was thrown from his bicycle and rolled onto the northbound lane of the A1A.

*Warning: Some may find the footage upsetting, viewer discretion advised*

While the aftermath of the crash remains uncertain, seven of the riders were rushed to two hospitals. Two of them are in critical condition. The injured also included a husband and a wife; the latter was admitted to hospital, while the husband is reportedly in a coma.

A cyclist from Florida also told road.cc that these roads are "super popular" amongst cyclists, especially for group rides like these, however given the history of such incidents, they didn't expect the driver to be charged anything substantial other than a minor infraction like 'distracted driving'.

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Barry Cohen, a cyclist from Boynton Beach nearby, told CBS12: "It's terrible. It's a dangerous stretch here. This in particular 'cause there's no shoulder right here. There's a lot of cyclists that are always riding here, sometimes in large groups."

Another local cyclist who runs a cycling safety activism and awareness Facebook page called 'Be Seen' said: "This was a horrific accident in South Florida on A1A early this morning near Gulfstream Country Club. This was an experienced group of riders all with lights on (front and rear). All were riding on the right side of the road and entitled to the driving lane.

"This woman was driving down A1A on the WRONG side of the road and drove head on into the whole group of cyclists. She did not slow down. She plowed into them. She is an 80 something year old woman who was disoriented for unknown reasons at this time.

"Most importantly keep the injured and their families in your prayers. Please make it a point to educate people you know about the rules of the road for cyclists and drivers. We will continue to work on helping to educate the public."

Cyclists on social media have reacted in different ways, some raging at the driver's behaviour, while others were saddened by the outcome of the event. A few also bemoaned the poor conditions for safe cycling in Florida.

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Dave wrote: "I hadn't ridden on the roads in several years and finally just sold my bike. It's simply too dangerous to ride on public roads any more, no matter where you are in this country", while Rick said: "The US has a major problem that is going to get worse with an aging population. We do not have a transportation system that provides enough options, in suburbs and rural areas, for older drivers to not have to drive."

Another cyclist said: "Just horrible. I rode that strip of A1A from Lake Worth to Delray a few years ago, it's pretty harrowing, no room for error. There are decent bike lanes for much of it except for that Gulfstream portion."

Just horrible. I rode that strip of A1A from Lake Worth to Delray a few years ago, it's pretty harrowing, no room for error. There are decent bike lanes for much of it except for that Gulfstream portion.

— Puck Buddys (@PuckBuddys) January 4, 2024

Last month, Illinois Supreme Court declared that cyclists were "only permitted users of the road, not intended", sending many cyclists in America into a state of shock and disbelief, who blasted the decision as "asinine" and "backwards".

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There is also a precedent for lenient punishments for such incidents in the US. In 2021, a 16-year-old youth in Texas ploughed into six cyclists when he accelerated as he attempted to blow black smoke at them from his illegally modified exhaust, a practice known as "coal rolling".

The cyclists, two of whom had to be airlifted to hospital – fortunately without life-threatening injuries – had been on a training ride for Ironman Texas. While the Police Department spoke to the driver and said that they were continuing to investigate, despite eyewitness accounts of what happened, no arrest was made.