Ocala bicyclist dies in traffic crash

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A 26-year-old Ocala man died after he was struck while crossing a county road on a bicycle early Sunday (Oct. 5) in northwest Marion County, the Florida Highway Patrol has reported.

The fatality occurred on County Road 326 about one mile west of Interstate 75 around 12: 45 a.m., according to an FHP press release.

The press release stated a Ford Fiesta driven by a 46-year-old Citrus Springs woman was traveling west on CR 326 “when a bicyclist traveled across the roadway into the direct path of the vehicle. The front of the vehicle struck the bicyclist (causing) fatal injuries.”

The victim, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced deceased at the crash scene. The car driver was not injured and wore a seatbelt, according to the press release.

FHP Crash Dashboard preliminary information from Jan. 1 to Sept. 29 indicates there have been 54 traffic fatalities in Marion County; three of those victims were bicyclists and 13 were pedestrians.