Cyclist hit by driver in Winter Garden has message for others when sharing the road

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - A cyclist injured in a weekend crash in Winter Garden has a message for drivers: pay attention and be considerate to everyone on the roads.

Hernando Angel was cycling with two friends on April 28 when a driver hit the group. According to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the crash happened on Hamlin Groves Trail near Tiny Road. All three cyclists were injured and transported to area hospitals.

"It changed my life," said Angel. "His incident, it definitely changed my life."

When they were hit, the trio were just 11 miles into their 60-mile Sunday ride.

"Suddenly, I just heard this big crash – like a big noise... A lot of metal," Angel said. "I broke the windshield, and then I flew over the car. After all that noise, everything was like calm, quiet, and dark. When I opened [my] eyes, I’m never going to forget that sensation of seeing the beautiful Florida blue sky, and I said, I made it… I’m alive."

Crawling to the sidewalk, Angel said he looked around for his friends. One was in a similar shape, but the other was face-down on the street.

"No movement, eyes closed," Angel said. "I just thought – I said, he’s dead… he’s dead."

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He survived – they all did. Angel suffered a broken rib, one of the other cyclists had a broken ankle, and the third man, with the most severe injuries, has three broken vertebrae in his neck, said Angel. As of May 1, he remained in hospital.

Left with broken bones and bruises, Angel wants their experience to serve as a message to others: 

"When you drive, you need to be conscious that you’re driving," Angel said. "Be focused, and don’t be distracted. We are a community; let’s respect each other."

While Angel’s physical wounds heal, his mental ones will take longer. He said he was unsure if he would ever get back into the bike saddle.

"It’s a shame because I love this sport… every day that’s my therapy," Angel said. "But right now, it’s hard. I think that has affected my life from now on… I don’t know what to do – to live my life without cycling… it’s going to be hard."

Angel said road bikes are not meant for sidewalks. They can hit speeds of 25 miles per hour, and the cyclists ride within inches of one another. It’s a dangerous sport, he said, but an addictive one. According to Angel, the tight-knit cycling community is attempting to organize a road safety awareness ride.

As for the driver at fault, according to FHP, because he stayed at the scene and this is not a criminal investigation, his only citation will be a moving violation.