KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. (WSVN) - A fatal crash claimed the life of a woman on Key Biscayne who was out for a bicycle ride.
Megan Andrews, 66, was fatally hit by a 12-year-old while riding her bicycle at the intersection of Woodcrest Road and Hampton Lane, Wednesday night.
Mark Fried, a life-long friend of the victim, said she was more than a one-in-a-million type of person.
“She was an amazing educator. She taught my nephew who has special needs,” he said. “She’s known and loved by the community. That gives me the privilege to cry.”
Fried described the crash scene.
“There were four or five police cars with lights on, and there was a crime tape,” he said.
Fried pointed the finger to the Village of Key Biscayne government, saying that for too long, they’ve treated potential e-bikes and scooter accidents as “no big deal.” Back in February, he wrote the village council a letter about the problem.
“Stop signs don’t mean anything. Cars don’t mean anything. They are just out there,” he said. “There are two sides of the story. One is the failure of leadership and not setting or enforcing rules. The bigger story is the loss of a wonderful woman.”
Neighbors agree with Fried’s assessment.
“If you have kids, 10 years old, younger or older, driving around these bikes that are 30 miles per hour, speed limit here is 20 miles per hour. Running stop signs. Going in the wrong direction, one-way streets,” said George Nelson, the victim’s neighbor.
In Florida, there is no age limitation or license needed to use an e-bike.
For years, and as recently as Tuesday night, residents appeared at the Village Council meeting to warn members that something awful could happen if they don’t crack down on children, who are years away from obtaining a valid driver’s license, riding e-bikes at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Residents said these kid drivers are simply ignoring or don’t know the rules of the road.
“I’d like to say that the safety and security of our residents is a top priority,” said Key Biscayne Mayor Joe Rasco during Tuesday’s meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting ended with village officials being asked to draft their opinion on the matter. But following the death of Andrews, Rasco is rolling out immediate measures.
“Residents are so outraged by the ongoing crashes by e-bikes that the mayor has announced an emergency city council meeting on Friday, Feb. 16, where I will be proposing an emergency ban on e-bikes and scooters effective immediately,” said Rasco in a video.
But neighbors said the move by the village could be too little, too late.
“She is a pillar of the community. I grew up with her two children, and it’s just a big loss since we’ve all been trying to control these e-bikes that have gotten wild out here,” said Nelson.
“This leadership, they didn’t do their jobs,” Fried said.
Rasco’s office told 7News that the mayor was not available for an interview on Thursday but would have more to say in Friday’s meeting, set to begin at 9 a.m.
It is unclear whether or not the 12-year-old involved in the fatal crash will face any consequences.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.