OKEECHOBEE — The identification of a 60-year-old bicyclist killed Monday in an incident on S.R. 70 East has not been released because his next of kin has not been located.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) investigators are also asking the public’s help in finding an unidentified tractor-trailer rig that ran over the man as he laid in the westbound lane of the highway.
According to an FHP report the bicyclist was traveling east on the paved shoulder on the south side of the highway around 6:56 a.m. on Sept. 26.
When the pavement ended near the highway’s intersection with N.E. 70th Avenue, the bicyclist apparently entered the eastbound lane of the highway.
This movement put him directly in front of an oncoming 2003 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Harold Browning, 58, of Venus.
The front end of the F-150 then struck the back end of the bicycle. That impact threw the bicyclist onto the pavement in the westbound lane. Mr. Browning’s vehicle came to rest facing east on the north shoulder of S.R. 70 E.
At this point a westbound tractor-trailer struck the bicycle and the man lying in the highway. The driver of the tractor-tailer did not stop, pointed out the report, and continued on in a westerly direction.
The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, stated the report.
If anyone has information regarding the tractor-trailer that left the scene, they are asked to contact FHP at 954-837-4012.
Mr. Browning was not injured, added the FHP report.