Vehicle strikes bicyclist on Longboat Key roadway

Longboat Key emergency services responded to two vehicular accidents with injuries on Gulf of Mexico Drive Tuesday afternoon.

First, a vehicle struck a male bicyclist near the 2200 block of GMD.

Witnesses reported that the vehicle and the bicyclist were both traveling northbound when the vehicle veered off the road and struck the bicyclist, according to Deputy Police Chief Frank Rubino.

The bicyclist was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the extent of his injuries is unknown.

Later, near the 3400 block of GMD, an elderly driver was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle containing a female driver and her six-year-old child, according to Fire Chief Paul Dezzi.

Both vehicles were facing north when Key emergency services arrived, and both drivers and the child were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Dezzi said. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

All Key fire and ambulance units responded to the accident, as well as Sarasota County units from St. Armands Circle. While on the scene, Key emergency services received a call for a reported stroke patient at the 4400 block of GMD.

Protocol requires that both an ambulance and firetruck respond to stroke patients, Dezzi explained, so the ambulance from St. Armands was rerouted to assist the patient, along with a firetruck from Manatee County.

The northbound lane of GMD was temporarily closed by the bicycle accident, and traffic was temporarily halted after the head on collision.

Earlier: A vehicle struck a bicyclist near the 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive this afternoon.

Witnesses reported that the vehicle and the bicyclist were both traveling northbound when the vehicle veered off the road and struck the bicyclist, according to Longboat Key Deputy Police Chief Frank Rubino.

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital for injuries. 

The northbound lane of Gulf of Mexico Drive has been closed because of the accident, forcing northbound traffic into the center lane.

This is a developing story and more information will be added as it becomes available.