PONCE INLET, Fla. -- Sheriff Mike Chitwood suffered two cracked vertebrae and assorted other injuries Friday morning in Ponce Inlet when he was struck by a pick-up truck while riding his bicycle without a helmet.
Here is a synopsis of what occurred, according to agency PIO Andew Gant in a Facebook post: Chitwood was injured in a crash this morning while riding his bicycle in Ponce Inlet. The sheriff’s bicycle was struck by a pickup truck that remained on scene in the area of 4950 S. Peninsula Drive. The crash was reported around 8:50 a.m. The driver of the truck, a Chevrolet Silverado, was found to be at fault and received a traffic citation from the Ponce Inlet Police Department for failure to yield (F.S.S. 316.121).
Among Chitwood's injuries listed by Gant: Two fractured vertebrae, a broken left hand, and a possible ACL tear in his right knee. Gant left out the fact that the sheriff was not wearing a helmet, which is required safety equipment of all sworn personnel on a bicycle.
The driver of the Chevy Silverado told Ponce Inlet police he didn't see Chitwood leading to the accident. He called 9-1-1 and when asked if Chitwood had his helmet on, the driver said he wasn't wearing one.
The driver of a Chevrolet Silverado received a traffic citation in connection with the crash about 8:50 a.m. near 4950 S. Peninsula Drive. The pickup driver failed to yield, Ponce Inlet Police said.
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