Cyclists and Pedestrians Continue to be Traffic Targets in South Florida
It is like a never-ending story in South Florida, especially in Miami, where almost every other day a cyclist or a pedestrian is injured or killed by a motor vehicle. The miamiherald.com reported that two cyclists were hit in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 16, while riding on the Rickenbacker Causeway between Key Biscayne and Miami.
A report today by cbslocal.com tells us more about this sad story. Two riders were struck: 37 year-old Aaron Cohen, who died Thursday night after being taken off life support (he had undergone emergency brain surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital after the accident) and 48 year old Enda Walsh, who suffered a broken leg.
Another Driver That Leaves The Scene of an Accident
Another thing that seems to be taking epidemic proportions in South Florida are the cases of drivers leaving the scene of an accident...That's exactly what Michele Traverso, the driver that killed Mr. Cohen, do after the accident. Despite the very damaged condition of his car's windshield (which made investigators wonder how he could drive the vehicle at all), Mr. Traverso simply drove his car to the parking lot of his Key Biscayne condo unit, where he covered it with a tarp in order to conceal the damage. However, debris from the crash scene allowed investigators determine the vehicle's make and zero in on it.
At the time of the accident, Mr. Traverso was driving without a license and attending a court-ordered drug program because he had been charged with possession of cocaine last May. He also had a 2009 arrest for possession of marihuana.
The alarming frequency of these hit and run cases makes me wonder about the kind of people that live amongst us....After all, they share the same roads me and my family use everyday (both as drivers and pedestrians) and to say the least, it is disconcerting to realize that among us live people with such low moral values...
Accidents happen everyday and can happen to any one of us. Don't these drivers realize that it could be their own loved ones left dead at the scene of an accident? They probably realize it, but just don't care. So long as they don't have to pay for the consequences of their actions...
Another Pedestrian Killed
Then we have the case of Brazilian race care driver J.P. Mauro, who has been charged with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and cocaine possession after fatally hitting 45-year-old Russell Knudson at around 1:30 a.m. last night on Collins Avenue, near 39th Street. Mr. Knudson was loading a bicycle into the back of a parked Toyota Camry when Mr. Mauro, who police claim was travelling at twice the 30 M.P.H. speed limit, veered into the parking lane and struck him. The impact threw Mr. Knudson onto the sidewalk, where he was pronounced dead. Mr. Mauro's eyes were bloodshot, he smelled of alcohol and according to police, he admitted to having been drinking earlier in the evening.
Continue reading "Cyclists and Pedestrians Continue to be Traffic Targets in South Florida" »
