NORTH BETHANY, Del. -- On Tuesday, a bicycle accident on Route One near the Indian River Inlet Bridge left neighbors shaken and asking why their efforts to bring more traffic calming measures to the area have been left unanswered.
According to Delaware State Police, a 71-year old man was hit and thrown off his bike Tuesday morning. He suffered serious injuries. Witnesses at the scene tell WBOC the man was airlifted to the hospital.
"I can't believe it took this long for something like this to happen," says Dan Cohen. "If you mix pedestrians and bikers with that speed, what's going to happen? There's no chance for any pedestrian or any biker should they get in a wreck with one of these cars without it being catastrophic."
Cohen isn't the only concerned neighbor advocating for more traffic calming measures in the area. Seth Hamed created the Coalition for Safer North Bethany to reduce the risk on Route One. Hamed and other neighbors met with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) last year to discuss traffic calming measures between the Indian River Inlet Bridge and Fred Hudson Rd.
C.R. McLeod with DelDOT tells WBOC they are looking at short term and long term solutions. At least one crosswalk and flashing sign will be installed on the highway next year near the Fresh Pond Trailhead and Ocean Ridge. Two other crosswalks and flashing signs will be installed afterward.
Hamed says that isn't enough.
"At the end of the day, if you don't lower the speed limit on Route One, people are going to die," says Hamed. "You can't put a crosswalk in and not lower the speed limit. If you take it to 35, I think it would add a little more than a minute. The point is, what's a life worth?"
Neighbors say they are working with local lawmakers to push their efforts forward in hope that change comes sooner than later.
"It's a human life issue, and what we're interested in doing is keeping this community and particularly this section of high way as safe as we can possibly make it," says Mile Weigold.
Delaware State Police say the cyclist, 71-year-old Joseph Jezyk, of Hockessin, died on Thursday. The driver of the car, a 62-year-old Ocean View man, was not injured.