ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Update 6/15/2019 11 p.m.: The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said they worked with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to find the vehicle that was involved in a hit-and-run on Race Track Road that killed two bicyclists.
However, the occupants of the home where police found the car weren’t there when they served a search warrant.
Update 6/15/2019 7 p.m.: Deputies are searching for the driver of a 2016 black Hyundai Azera believed to have hit and killed two bicyclists on Race Track Road.
The area between the I-95 and 9B flyovers where the bicyclists were hit is known as the old Racetrack Road. It drops down to two lanes and there’s a thin shoulder – a few feet on each side.
“The first thing that always happens in the cycling community, we try to figure out, is it somebody we know?” Heather Neville said.
As detectives were working to track down the hit-and-run driver, Neville was checking on her friends.
She’s a cyclist herself and works with the county to plan bike and pedestrian routes. She said she no longer bikes the stretch of Race Track Road.
“Somebody hit their sideview mirror on my handlebars when I was on Race Track, and I was in the lane. They came around me too tight,” she said.
Bicyclists have all the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Florida law says bicyclists should ride in the roadway when there is no bike lane. Neville said it’s crucial to their safety.
“Ride two-by-two in the motor vehicle lane because what that does is you can be seen especially on long stretches of road,” she said. “The cars can then go around safely rather than trying to squeeze between oncoming traffic and the bicycle.”
Neville said the county has come a long way in bicycle and pedestrian safety but there is a lot of work to be done.
“It’s just mission critical that everybody get involved in this conversation whether you ride bicycles or not,” she said.
Deputies have not yet identified the two people killed.
Update 6/15/2019 5:25 p.m.: The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that Racetrack is open and traffic is flowing in both directions.
Original story:
Two bicyclists are dead after a hit-and-run crash at 5401 Racetrack Road, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Department.
The crash happened between I-95 and the 9B flyover. Right now Racetrack Road is closed from Bartram Park Boulevard to U.S. 1.
Action News Jax saw half a dozen witnesses at the crash site. Deputies say they are working to notify family.
This story is developing. Check back for more updates or follow us on Twitter @actionnewsjax.
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