TAMPA — A bicyclist killed in a crash along Bayshore Boulevard on Saturday was Hal Holmes Flowers, 50, a Tampa attorney, husband and father of four, relatives said Sunday.
Flowers was trying to cross Bayshore in a crosswalk near Rome Avenue at about 11 a.m. when a northbound motorcyclist riding in a group of three collided with him. Flowers was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The motorcyclist, who has not been identified, died at the scene.
Witnesses said the motorcyclists seemed to come out of nowhere. The road borders a scenic linear park with sweeping views of Hillsborough Bay and is a popular spot for running, biking and walking.
Flowers and his wife, Lara Peppard, 48, have four children. Family members said they were not prepared to speak to a reporter Sunday afternoon.
Flowers was the son of Harry “Hal” C. Flowers, 72, a Tampa commercial real estate developer who has served on boards including the Tampa Downtown Partnership, the Florida Aquarium and the University of South Florida College of Architecture.
Residents have been calling for years for increased safety measures on Bayshore Boulevard, including weekend closures, speed bumps and cameras.
Flowers was an attorney who specialized in business, alcohol, healthcare and regulatory issues, according to his LinkedIn page. He had business and law degrees from the University of Florida.
In 2018, three racing teenage drivers were in a crash that killed Jessica Raubenolt and her 1-year-old daughter, Lillia, as they crossed the street.
In January, pedestrian George Gage, 70, died after being hit by the driver of a pool supply truck. The driver had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the threshold at which Florida law presumes that someone is unable to safely drive a motor vehicle.
The nonprofit group Walk Bike Tampa sent a letter to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Sunday, calling on her to close Bayshore to cars while the coronavirus safer-at-home order stands. More pedestrians than ever are gathering during the lockdown and less traffic means cars are driving faster, the group said.
“Yesterday’s horrific crash demonstrates ... that Bayshore’s wide travel space and lack of impediments such as traffic lights promotes poor driver behavior,” the letter said.