A 35-year-old Lake Wales bicyclist was killed during a pre-dawn ride on Galloway Road this morning after being hit by two vehicles, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Mitchell Johnson suffered head trauma and died shortly after arriving at Lakeland Regional Health, the Sheriff’s Department reported.

The accident happened around 5:23 a.m. on an unlit curve of Galloway Road near Apollo Court. Johnson was wearing dark clothing and had no lighting on his bike, officials said. He was on the far right of the northbound lane when he was hit first by a Lincoln MKZ and rolled across its hood. He landed on the southbound lane, where he was hit by a GMC Envoy, officials said.

Neither driver showed signs of impairment, and neither speed nor driver distraction are believed to have been factors, officials said.

North Galloway Road was closed for about four hours. The investigation continues.

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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