6 Inches Might Have Saved Pinellas Bicyclist's Life; Bike Club Wants To Raise Awareness

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — For members of Project Hero Hub Pinellas, Sherry Nowotarski's death wasn't just a statistic contributing to Tampa Bay's unenviable reputation as one of the nation's most dangerous places for cycling enthusiasts.

She was a friend whose laughter and enthusiasm was contagious during the cycling group's weekly rides along Pinellas County's tree-lined trails and coastal roads.

Her death Oct. 15 after suffering critical injuries when she was struck by a car during an early-morning bike ride with friends is all the more tragic because it might have been prevented.

"Six inches might have saved her life," said Mitch Lee, who leads Project Hero Hub Pinellas.

At 6:07 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, Nowotarski, a 60-year-old mother of two and civilian employee with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, was riding her bicycle west over the Park Boulevard Bridge when the front wheel of her bike hit a crack on the bridge, sending Nowotarski tumbling into the road.

Despite efforts to avoid hitting the fallen bicyclist, the driver of a Dodge Dart also headed west on the bridge struck her with the passenger side of the car. Witnesses said the driver didn't move over a lane to give Nowotarski more room to ride.

Nowotarski was rushed to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, where it became apparent to doctors that she couldn't be saved. She died on Saturday, Oct. 16.

That evening, friends, family and fellow cyclists gathered on the beach at Kolb Park to watch the sun set, light candles in Nowotarski's honor and share remembrances of her.

"We were touched by the presence of Sherry’s daughters and brother," Lee said. "Stories and prayers were shared. It was a beautiful evening for a beautiful person. Sherry’s family was truly touched by the outpouring of love and care."

Project Hero Hub Pinellas, a chapter of a national nonprofit that helps injured veterans and first responders, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help Nowotarski's family pay for expenses as they settle her affairs. In just five days, the campaign has raised $22,941.

A celebration of Nowotarski's life will take place Friday at 3 p.m. at St. Jerome Church, 10895 Hamlin Blvd., Largo, followed by a reception at Lee's St. Petersburg home. Nowotarski's two daughters, Kaitlyn and Alyssa Kirkpatrick, have requested those attending wear any color but black.

Nowotarski's death comes during National Pedestrian Safety Month, a time when the Federal Highway Administration reminds drivers that they aren't the only ones using America's roadways. They share the roads with children walking to school, joggers, bicyclists, roller-bladers, skateboarders and motorized scooter operators.

The FHA also observes National Bicycle Safety Month in May.

Organizations like Walk/Bike Tampa Bay, a coalition of transportation and business organizations working to make walking and bicycling safer in Tampa Bay, have worked hand in hand with local governments to provide more on-street bike lanes and trails to encourage walking and bicycling.

The city of Tampa now has 137 miles of on-street bike lanes and St. Petersburg has 125 miles of bike lanes and shared-use trails.

Additionally, more than 250 crosswalks throughout Tampa Bay are equipped with rectangular rapid flashing beacons to alert drivers to crossing pedestrians and bicyclists.

And Tampa Bay offers an extensive trail system used by thousands of walkers and bicyclists.

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail stretching 50 miles from St. Petersburg north to the Pasco County line is used by 5,000 people every day.

Nevertheless, Florida has more bicyclist deaths than any other state. On a per-capita scale, cyclist deaths in Florida are almost 60 percent higher than the next closest state, Louisiana.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, deaths among Florida bicyclists age 20 and older have tripled since 1975.

Last year, the Governors Highway Safety Association commissioned a study on road fatalities including pedestrian, bicyclist, e-scooter, roller-blader and skateboarder deaths.

More than 43 percent of all bicycling deaths in the U.S. occurred in Florida, California and Texas.

Florida has ranked among these top three states with the most bicycle and pedestrian fatalities every year since 2001.

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“On average last year, there were nearly 280 crashes per week involving a motorcycle or bicycle in Florida, which truly underscores the importance of staying vigilant for all road users,” said Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “While their mode of transportation may differ from a typical vehicle, motorcyclists and bicyclists still have the right to share our roadways and the right to make it to their destination safely.”

In 2020, there were 8,583 motorcycle crashes and 6,013 bicycle crashes in Florida resulting in 2,687 serious bodily injuries and 668 fatalities.

Closer to home, according to Bike/Walk Tampa Bay, in 2019 Tampa Bay led the state in the number of bicycle accidents.

• Hillsborough: 543 bike crashes, 11 of which were fatal
• Pinellas: 513 bike crashes, 6 of which were fatal
• Pasco: 191 bike crashes, 8 of which were fatal
• Polk: 136 bike crashes, 7 of which were fatal
• Manatee: 120 bike crashes, 4 of which were fatal
• Sarasota: 179 bike crashes, 6 of which were fatal

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have adopted Vision Zero plans with the goal of eliminating deaths on county roadways. However, bicyclists say Tampa Bay has a long way to go.

"I have led hundreds of bike rides over the past eight years. Some are on trails and some on roads," Lee said. "What I have continued to witness is the driver ignorance of safe distance from cyclists. In some of the accidents, I believe a little more distance between the vehicle and the bicycle could have made a huge difference in the outcome."

He believes that may have been the case in the accident that killed Nowotarski.

"Six inches might have saved her life," he said. "The car that struck her was in the right lane of two lanes going west. Why not move to the other lane in advance of reaching the cyclist? An eyewitness said there was not another car in the other lane."

This is not only a good rule of thumb, as of July 1, it's the law in Florida.

Florida's 2002 Move Over Law mandates that drivers move over a lane or reduce their speeds to 20 mph below the speed limit when they see law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles and tow trucks or wreckers.

During the 2021 legislative session, State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, and Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, co-authored a bill signed into law July 1 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, granting the same protections to bicyclists on Florida’s roadways.

Passed unanimously in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, the new law requires drivers overtaking a bicyclist traveling in a bike lane to put at least 3 feet between the vehicle and bicyclist when passing. If such a pass cannot be made safely, the driver must remain at a safe distance behind the bicycle until they have a 3-foot passing buffer.

“By practicing road safety, we can lower the number of accidents in Florida so that people can enjoy biking and walking outdoors safely,” said Hunschofsky. “I am grateful that Gov. DeSantis has signed this bill to make our roads safer for cyclists to enjoy our great outdoors.”

The law also protects groups of bicyclists at stop signs. Drivers are now required to allow groups of 10 riders or less to ride through an intersection before proceeding.

Those who fail to obey the new law are subject to non-criminal moving violations.

Before the law’s passage, Florida state statutes mandated a 3-foot passing buffer but did not specify other legal instructions for drivers passing bicyclists.

The law also mandates a public education campaign to make drivers aware of the new statutory requirements. Lee said such a campaign is crucial because most of the drivers he encounters while cycling don't heed this law.

"The lack of awareness is one of the biggest issues," he said. "I rode today over the Gandy bridge and there were many drivers that stayed in the right lane even when the left lane was open. Why not give more space, even if just to not alarm cyclists unnecessarily?"

He said he'd also like to see the county and other municipalities follow the example of St. Petersburg, which has installed plastic poles on 9th Street that physically separate the bike lane from the road in contrast to the visual separation created by painting double yellow lines delineating the bike path. Similar measures are planned for Central Avenue.

"This has taken years, though, to happen," Lee said. "Until more projects like these happen, helping increase awareness may be the only hope we have."

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See related stories:

• Indian Shores Bicyclist Dies Following Crash
• Tampa Police Begin New Traffic Safety Initative To Reduce Crashes
• Bike/Walk Tampa Bay Summit
• Weekend Accidents Reinforce Need In Pinellas For Increased Safety