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Highlands Today

Park Ranger Remains Hospitalized After Crash

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: September 3, 2007

SEBRING — Highlands Hammock Park Ranger Darrel Smith remains hospitalized at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center Sunday after his tricycle collided with a car Friday evening, according to a spokesman from the park.

Smith, 60, was in critical condition when he was airlifted Friday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The staff at Lakeland Regional refused to provide any information on Smith's condition Sunday afternoon, declining to confirm if he was there, and not stating why. However, Park Ranger Steve Barrera from Highlands Hammock State Park said Smith had "multiple injuries" but was "stabilized" at the hospital.

"Family's still at the hospital with him today," Barrera said.

According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, Smith was heading east along the Hammock Road bike path at 7:45 p.m. Friday. Crossing Hope Road with his low-riding three-wheeled recumbent tricycle, Smith crossed in front of a 2005 Ford vehicle driven by Valerie Conklin.

The report stated that Conklin, 41, did not see Smith's tricycle until her car's left side ran into Smith from his right. Although the report said that Smith "failed to yield the right-of-way" to Conklin, no charges were filed.

Several riders with the bike group Highlands Pedalers alleged Sunday that the stop sign for the bicycle path was stolen at that intersection when Smith had the accident.

"Darrell's very cautious and he rides that path all the time," said Christine West, whose husband, Keane, rode with Smith every Tuesday and Thursday.

Keane West and others who knew him from both the Highlands Pedalers and the Highlands Hammock were still shocked about the accident Sunday.

Robin Norton, who works at the Hammock Inn and occasionally dined with Smith and the other rangers at the restaurant, said he saw several police cars that evening and only realized the next day that Smith had an accident.

"Darrel's a super-nice guy, I hope he comes through this OK," Norton said.

Bicyclists React

Bicyclists from Sebring to Miami heard about Smith's bike accident as they went into the Tour of Sebring, which began Friday and continues through today.

Some cyclists, like Kelly Olcsvary of Hollywood, Fla., were quick to describe what caused Smith and Conklin to hit each other. She already heard a lot of the details on the crash through the other bicyclists in the event. When told the time that the crash happened, she said that the sun's glare on a driver could have had something to do with it.

"Bad sun angle when you're riding a bike," she said.

Other riders like Keane West began looking at their own biking habits.

"When I enter intersections I usually blow through," he said. After hearing about what happened to Smith, he says he's more careful.

Whatever the conditions, the bicyclists all shared one fear: drivers, they said, are not seeing them on the road. This is why Olcsvary tries to ride in groups, usually riding single-file down the roads. Smith rode alone Friday night.

"You can obey every law," she said, "but when you're just one person, the vehicles just don't notice you."

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