A 48-year-old Vero Beach man riding an electric bicycle was killed after being struck by a pickup truck that fled the scene Sunday night in unincorporated Indian River County. The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 8:57 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of 8th Street and 14th Avenue.
The man was traveling west on an e-bike in the westbound lane of 8th Street as he approached 14th Avenue. A light-colored Ford F-150, believed to be a 2015 to 2020 model, was traveling behind him in the same lane. As the truck approached the bicyclist, the driver took evasive action and moved southwest, partially entering the eastbound lane.
The truck still struck the bicyclist with its right side. The man was thrown onto the roadway and came to rest in the eastbound lane.
The driver fled without stopping to provide aid or contact law enforcement. Investigators say the truck may be missing its right-side rearview mirror due to the crash. The bicyclist was taken to Lawnwood Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Both eastbound and westbound lanes of 8th Street were temporarily blocked during the investigation. The crash remains under investigation, and troopers are seeking the public's help in locating the truck driver. Anyone with information about the vehicle or driver is asked to contact FHP.