St. Petersburg: Bicyclist Killed in Vehicle Accident

On Thursday July 5^th, David Formato, 54, was standing over his bike as he waited for a traffic signal to change in St. Petersburg. He was then hit by a vehicle, which had been impacted by another. Officials believe a Kia cut in front of a Honda and struck it, which then caused the Honda to abruptly veer into Formato who was on the sidewalk.  This is the latest in a string of recent bicyclists and pedestrians hit by automobiles in St. Petersburg.

The tragic accident occurred near the intersection of 13th Avenue N and 34th Street. The innocent bicyclist, Mr. Formato, was killed immediately upon impact. Formato is survived by one son and one daughter. The drivers of the cars only sustained minor injuries and as of today, no charges have been filed. An investigation by police remains open. This is the second bike-related fatality this year to take place in the congested area. There were five bike fatalities there in 2011. Florida is known as one of the most dangerous states for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The Orlando area was ranked number one in a survey which declared the most dangerous places for non-motorists. Shockingly, from 2000-2009, there were over 550 pedestrian fatalities in central Florida. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area area took second place on the list. This area has long been a hotbed for pedestrian accidents and bicyclists impacted by automobiles Surprisingly, bus riders are also considered to be high risk, because when they are walking to or from a bus stop they may decide to take a short cut by traveling across a busy street, rather than walking the distance to a designated crosswalk. When pedestrians are outside of a crosswalk perimeter, motorists may not clearly see them since they expect to only see pedestrians within those legally defined lines. Currently, the government has put forth The Pedestrian Safety Strategic Plan: Recommendations for Research and Product Development. This is a 15-year plan for pedestrian safety research and technology transfer. It was created to address pedestrian safety concerns and equip professionals and other stakeholders with knowledge, resources, and information needed to identify problems and implement solutions related to the roadway environment. Details regarding the plan can be viewed at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ Dolman Law Group is a Tampa personal injury law firm that represents consumers only and does not an  automobile accident, motorcycle accident, traumatic brain injury, insurance carrier bad faith, wrongful death, distracted driving as a result of texting and driving and injuries caused by a drunk driver. Matthew A. Dolman is a Clearwater personal injury Attorney and resides in Clearwater, Florida.