Dr. Gilbert Beauperthuy-Rojas, a 63-year-old orthopedic surgeon at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, remains hospitalized with a spinal cord injury after a driver in a sport utility vehicle struck him while he was cycling in a designated bike lane on the Rickenbacker Causeway. The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. Saturday near 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, close to Virginia Key, leaving Beauperthuy-Rojas with no movement or ability to move from the waist down, according to his longtime friend.
The collision was first reported by WPLG Local 10, whose reporting forms the basis of most details in this account. Beauperthuy-Rojas suffered cuts across his body along with liver and kidney lacerations in addition to the spinal injury, and Miami Fire Rescue transported him to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. He remains at Jackson Memorial as of the outlet's report. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police, per the outlet's report, and the Miami Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash.
Carlos G. Mendia, 62, said Beauperthuy-Rojas was riding alone in the designated bicycle lane when the SUV struck him. Mendia, who introduced his friend to cycling back in 2010, described the toll of the injury bluntly, per the same account: Beauperthuy-Rojas currently has no movement or ability to move from the waist down. Mendia is now calling on public officials to find a solution to the dangers of cycling on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
A Respected Surgeon Known Across Miami's Orthopedic Community
Beauperthuy-Rojas is a former president of the Miami Orthopaedic Society who has treated patients with sports injuries and degenerative conditions for decades. Henry Garcia, a spokesman for HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, described him as a great physician and a great person, according to the outlet's report. The article was authored by Andrea Torres and Bridgette Matter.
A Causeway With a Long, Deadly History for Cyclists
The Rickenbacker Causeway is a 3.6-mile scenic arterial that serves as the only land route into Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, and it draws an estimated 500,000 cyclists and 250,000 pedestrians each year, according to WLRN. Despite that traffic, the corridor has a grim record of severe collisions. In May 2022, two cyclists, 48-year-old Yaudys Vera and 46-year-old Ogniana Reyes, were struck and killed by a driver operating a Jeep near the causeway's toll plaza, as reported by CBS Miami. Just last August, Hoodline reported that a 54-year-old cyclist was killed after colliding with an electric dirt bike on the same causeway.
The danger on this stretch of road has previously reshaped state law. Florida's Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, passed in 2014, established a four-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for drivers who flee fatal crash scenes, inspired by the 2012 hit-and-run death of cyclist Aaron Cohen on the Rickenbacker Causeway, according to CBS Miami. Cohen's killer avoided that mandatory sentence at the time by waiting 18 hours to turn himself in, after alcohol had cleared his system.
Millions Spent on Safety Upgrades, Yet Crashes Continue
Miami-Dade County has poured money into the corridor in recent years. In January 2025, the county completed a $14 million infrastructure upgrade on a reopened segment of the causeway, adding paved trails, seawalls, and physical separation meant to keep cyclists away from motor traffic, per WLRN. Two years earlier, in March 2023, the county announced Phase II safety enhancements that included spending $370,000 to relocate the Hobie Beach Park entrance driveway 350 feet east, reducing vehicle-cyclist conflict points near the William Powell Bridge, according to a Miami-Dade County announcement. That followed Phase I work in 2022, which installed flex-delineators and restricted U-turns west of the bridge.
Longer-term fixes are still in the planning stages. In December 2024, Miami-Dade's Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee reviewed draft renderings of a Rickenbacker Causeway master plan featuring fully grade-separated bicycle lanes, though transit officials emphasized the designs remain preliminary, according to WPLG Local 10. Local riders have pushed for rigid concrete barriers rather than plastic posts, arguing that paint and delineators do little to stop a swerving or distracted driver.
Florida's Cycling Death Rate Remains the Nation's Worst
The crash that injured Beauperthuy-Rojas fits into a broader statewide pattern. Florida recorded 234 pedalcyclist deaths in 2023, a fatality rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents that stands as the highest per-capita rate of any U.S. state and nearly triple the national average of 0.35 deaths per 100,000, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. A 2024 analysis of federal highway safety data found that seven of the top ten deadliest U.S. counties for bicyclists were located in Florida, led by Pasco, Sarasota, and Manatee counties, according to The Guardian.
Under Florida Statute § 316.083, drivers overtaking a bicyclist traveling in the same direction or occupying a designated bike lane must maintain a safe clearance distance of at least three feet from the rider. Legal experts note the rule is difficult to enforce proactively and is rarely cited unless a physical impact occurs. Whether police will apply that statute in the case of Beauperthuy-Rojas, and whether the driver was speeding or distracted, remain open questions as the Miami Police Department's investigation continues.
