Bicyclist hit by car dies of heart attack on way to hospital

An 80-year-old man died when he was hit by a car as he rode his bicycle in south Lee County on Sunday afternoon.

According to NBC-2.com, the Estero man died of a heart attack on his way to the hospital following the 2 p.m. crash on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway at the Porto Romano community.

A 71-year-old Fort Myers woman was turning right from a stop sign on Porto Romano Drive onto southbound Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and failed to see Jacobus Vancaulil. Her BMW hit him, throwing him into her windshield. She drove onto the median before striking a light pole and then continuing back across the Ben Hill Griffin Parkway lanes, according to news-press.com.

This should serve as a reminder to us all that motorists should follow safety tips to help keep everyone safe on the roadways. It can be difficult to see bicyclists so it’s important that everyone who shares the road exercise caution. That includes watching both ways for cyclists and pedestrians when you are turning and giving cyclists plenty of room in your lane or the bicycle lane.

It’s also important that bicyclists follow the rules of the road and watch out for drivers who may not see them or who aren’t paying attention. Everyone needs to be responsible to keep everyone safe.

At Bernardo Injury Law, we have experience working with bicyclists injured in accidents. Contact us at (239) 332-3000 or toll free at 888-428-8943, email us at gethelp@injuryinfo.org or visit our website at injuryinfo.org.