COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - A bicyclist who was struck by a car during a ride in Coconut Grove is warning motorists about sharing the road.
Reid Welch collided with a car while riding his electric bicycle in Coconut Grove Tuesday afternoon, and a camera on the bike managed to catch the crash.
“You watch that video, you hear the thud,” Welch said, “you almost feel it.”
He was riding in the dedicated bike lane down Southwest 27th Avenue near U.S. 1, at more than 20 miles an hour. That’s when a dark-colored car turned right and slammed into Welch.
“He didn’t check his rearview mirror, he didn’t signal, so I didn’t have a choice to avoid him,” Welch said. “My last thought was, ‘Here I go.'”
The video shows how forceful the impact was. Welch can be seen knocking the mirror right off of the car.
A person who appears to be the driver quickly rushes out of his vehicle.
“[Expletive], you all right?” the driver said. “Holy [expletive], I didn’t see you, man.”
Welch said he is lucky to be alive. He did not break any bones but has a few bruises.
He told 7News that he wants the video taken from that collision to serve as a reminder to both drivers and bicyclists.
“A bicycle lane is a vehicle lane just as if a car was using a lane,” Welch said. “In fact, when a car has to make a right turn, it has to consider there is another lane to their right – the bicycle lane.”
Welch said he wants to prevent something like this from happening again.
“I’ve learned a lesson,” he said. “You’ve got to be vigilant. I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”
Welch said he’s not even mad at the driver who stopped and acted fast to get him some help.
It remains unclear if any charges were filed.
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