Avid bicyclists hope that this weekend's deadly hit-and-run crash that killed two people in St. Johns County will serve as an important reminder to respect everyone on the road.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says a car hit two people riding along the shoulder of Racetrack Road going westbound toward State Road 9B. They are currently investigating to find out who the driver was.
Many in the bicyclist community say they are saddened over the two people who lost their lives, despite following the law. Their identities haven't been released.
“We’re reeling a little bit,” Tracey Quinn said.
Quinn is the owner of Bikes Kites and More along Racetrack Road. She says the crashes weighed heavy on her customers’ minds Saturday.
“Customers started wanting to talk about it, we felt our hearts breaking in regard to our cyclists," Quinn said. "We loved them and sometimes they get forgotten and disrespected on the roads."
Quinn encourages all her bicyclists to ride safely by wearing helmets, using reflective lights, bright colors and riding with the flow of traffic.
While many follow the rules, Quinn feels it's up to drivers to focus on their surroundings in order to keep all bicyclists and motorists safe. On that westbound stretch of Racetrack Road before the Interstate 95 overpass, there's a sign that reads “bikes may use full lane.”
Not very far away from that sign is where deputies say a vehicle left the road at some point and struck two bicyclists riding on the shoulder of the road.
The vehicle was found, but deputies are still trying to find out who is responsible.
And Quinn is hoping that motorists can take extra time on the road to keep bicyclists safe.
“In that extra five minutes, is our cyclists are safe, we don’t have to go through the sadness for these families that lost their loved ones," Quinn said. "We just really want to be safe for our people."
Deputies say they used a search warrant to obtain the vehicle involved. They are encouraging the community that if they know the person driving the vehicle at the time they can call the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office at 904-824-8304.