PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — When Julie Henning looks at what’s left of her bicycle, she remembers that she almost lost everything.

What You Need To Know

  • Treasure Island recently held the first World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event in Pinellas County

  • Crash victims and survivors spoke out on the need for safer roads

  • State data shows more than 100 pedestrians have been killed in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties this year

“When I see this bicycle, it’s so emotional for me. I can’t be more grateful to be alive and survive. This bicycle is dented all over the place,” Henning said. 

She was hit by a garbage truck while riding her bicycle on Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County in May 2020.  

More than a dozen broken bones and multiple surgeries later, she’s still recovering. 

But now she uses that bike to show others what’s at stake on the road. 

She recently spoke at a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event in Treasure Island, the first of its kind in Pinellas. 

The goal is to remember victims in road crashes and have a call to action for change. 

Bob Griendling was one of the organizers. He is also a survivor of a bicycle crash, when a driver rear-ended him and nearly killed him. 

“I’ve ridden many, many miles around here. And I know how dangerous they are. Cars making right turns in front of cyclists. Or running stop signs. Or passing way too close,” Griendling said. 

State data shows 34 cyclists and more than 100 pedestrians have been killed in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties this year. 

Henning hopes remembering them is a reminder for drivers to slow down and pay more attention. 

“Really, this for me is so personal. It just touches my heart to think if I can affect just one person, that’s good enough,” Henning said.