Two runners participating in the Keys 100, a 100-mile race in the Florida Keys, have serious injuries and are in hospital after being hit by a vehicle on Saturday.
The 2024 Keys 100 began on May 18, with participants running from Key Largo to Key West. On Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol reported that a 23-year-old woman driving a Chrysler Pacifica fell asleep, before driving out of her lane and colliding with the runners, as reported by NBC6. Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor.
The families of both runners are looking for answers. Matt D., one of the runners, competes in marathons and is a surgeon. He had to have part of his right arm amputated following the crash. His wife, Sara, says the incident has destroyed their lives. “They were part of an official race, all I know is they weren’t on their own, they were part of an organized event and I don’t comprehend the details,” she said to NBC6. Gabriel, the second runner, is a professor at the University of Miami and a dedicated athlete. It is expected he will lose some function in his right arm.
Running community, please pray for two runners who were hit by a car during the Keys 100 (currently going on). They have been airlifted to a trauma center in Miami per the race FB. The Keys 100 is on open road Highway US-1 from Key Largo to Key West. 🙏🏼❤️ #running #KEYS100 pic.twitter.com/6Qm7xrUED2
— Joshua Holmes (@bayou) May 18, 2024
Race director Bob Becker calls the incident an unfortunate accident, and explained that the race does have safety protocols in place, from sheriff’s deputies to cones and signage. However, the section that the runners were in when the incident occurred had no signage or preventive measures, leading the runners’ spouses to believe that the accident could have been prevented. “Seven Mile Bridge is coned, not the entire course. It never has been and there has been no comment ever to that effect,” Becker said.
The families of Matt D. and Gabriel hope their stories will help prevent an incident of this kind from happening again.
