A 12-year-old boy was seriously injured on Thursday while riding his bike near Omega Park in Middleburg. He was trying to cross County Road 218 when he was hit by a Ford Mustang. The boy was airlifted to UF Health Jacksonville where he remains in critical condition.
This accident brings an issue to the forefront that many area residents have complained about for months. The stretch of County Road 218 between Mimosa Avenue and Blanding Boulevard, a two-mile stretch that includes Omega Park, has few traffic lights and cars tend to speed through the area. Worse still, this stretch of road has no sidewalk or bike path along the side. If pedestrians need to traverse through the area, they must either walk in the road or in the deep grass next to it. There are also no marked crosswalks in the area.
The Florida Department of Transportation is currently in the beginning stages of the process of building the much needed bike path along this road. However, there are no immediate plans yet to put in crosswalks for pedestrian traffic that needs to cross County Road 218. Area residents hope that it can be added to the plans.
As for the driver of the Ford Mustang, she stopped to give the boy aid, and waited on scene for first responders and police. The accident is still under investigation. Hopefully, the victim makes a full recovery, but he has a long road in front of him. His parents, family and friends can only watch and wait as his body heals, but he will probably bear the mental scars of the accident for some time, maybe the rest of his life.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, please contact James O. Cunningham today at 386-243-4994.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle accident, call at (386) 243-4994.
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