According to a post from USA Cycling, 25-year-old collegiate champion was killed in a hit-and-run. The cyclist, identified as Jake Boykin, was in training for his upcoming competition.
The incident took place in Jefferson County, where on Friday, September 22, a pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old man struck the cyclist, as reported by the Florida Highway Patrol. The vehicle, traveling south on Wacissa Springs Road, collided with the cyclist on the road and then left the scene. Afterward, the cyclist was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
Law enforcement authorities managed to locate the driver, who had struck the cyclist, a short time later. Shockingly, the bike was impaled into the front grill area of the truck. The driver was subsequently transported to a hospital by emergency services due to unrelated injuries, as confirmed by Florida officials.
In a Facebook post, USA Cycling paid tribute to the cyclist, sharing that he was a Florida State University PhD student. He had been on his final training ride in preparation for the Six Gap Century race in northern Georgia, which took place on September 23 and 24.
“He was just an incredible human being,” FSU School of Communication assistant director Jason Khan-Hohensee, said. “I always felt like I was trying to take on a big brother role for him, but I don’t know how far I got. I feel like I always learned a lot more from Jake instead of it being the other way around.”
While there are claims that the driver may have been impaired, authorities said the investigation is ongoing and nothing is confirmed yet.
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