Edmond Dentist Dies After Being Hit By Car During Bike Ride

An afternoon bike ride ended in heartbreak in Guthrie Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) troopers said a cyclist was killed along Highway 77 after he was struck by a pickup. The OHP said the man on the bike, an Edmond dentist, did everything he should have from the use of a helmet to reflectors; but somehow the driver still didn't see him.

Related Story: Edmond Dentist Dead After Being Hit By Car While Riding Bike, According To OHP

It's a call OHP Trooper Eric Foster says they get all too often in the nicer months.

Foster said the safety hazard of bicycles and cars together on one road is only amplified on these state highways, like Highway 77, where the crash happened. The report shows both the cyclist, who OHP identified as Edmond dentist Richard Safi, and the driver, a woman in her 80s, were both heading northbound just before 2 p.m. Saturday. It's not clear how, but the driver didn't seem to see Safi when she tried to pass him and hit him in the process.

"State law says you're supposed to give a bicyclist 3 feet of room when you're passing them. A lot of times, we'll see vehicles run right up on a bicycle," explained Trooper Foster.

Medical crews flew Safi to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. It's not clear if the driver will face any charges. If so, they will come from the Logan County District Attorney.