A woman died from her injuries Saturday after being hit by a car.
At about 9 p.m., Roberson Louis, 34, from Gainesville, was driving on Southwest 13th Street when he hit Sally Offen, 63, said Gainesville Police Sgt. Lisa Scott.
Offen, from Atlantic Beach, Florida, was crossing the bicycle lane headed to Home2 Suites by Hilton, at 2115 SW 13th St., Scott said.
She died from her injuries at UF Health Shands Hospital, Scott said. Her family has been notified and the crash is being investigated as a traffic homicide.
“She suffered traumatic injuries,” said Gainesville Police Lt. Steve Bradford. “She took a pretty big hit.”
Four to five pedestrians are killed by cars in Gainesville every year, Bradford said. On Southwest 13th Street, on average, one pedestrian is killed every year.
“It’s more than we would like,” Bradford said.
Two pedestrians were hit last year while crossing the road in Gainesville. A woman crossing Northwest 13th Street was hit by two cars in October and a man was hit by a car on Northwest 39th Avenue in July.
Pedestrians should use crosswalks when walking across the street, Bradford said. If there are no crosswalks, they should cross quickly and use medians.
“Don’t assume that people see you,” Bradford said.
Contact Katherine Wallace-Fernandez at kwallace-fernandez@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @katwf98.
