BRADENTON, Fla. — Friends remember an avid cyclist who was struck and killed by a car while riding in a designated bike lane.
Craig Prather, 48, was riding his bicycle on 53rd Avenue West near 66th Street West in Bradenton.
WATCH: Cyclist struck and killed by car after surviving cardiac arrest months earlier
The crash happened on May 16 around 4:30 a.m.
State troopers said a driver in a BMW entered the bike lane and struck Prather. He died at the scene.
Robert DeSantis knew Prather for nearly 15 years. The two met at a local bike shop, Village Bikes.
"I wanted to get into racing and had no idea how to do it. He was one of my first coaches who really taught me how to ride a bike," said DeSantis.
He said Prather would often ride the same route and always kept safety in mind.
"He did everything right. He rode early in the morning, avoided high traffic areas, had a rear bike light and had a mirror. He did everything he tells us to do and it still did not save him," said DeSantis.
He said Prather's death has devastated the cycling community.
"We miss his voice. We miss every part about him," said DeSantis.
Craig's friend, Richard Traugott, returned to the crash site. He took cellphone video around the same time of morning that the crash occurred.
He wanted to get a better idea of road conditions.
"I mean the video Richard put out, you can land an airplane on this road at 4:30 a.m. in the morning with how much light there is," said DeSantis.
Friends said Prather had survived a cardiac arrest while cycling the same route less than six months earlier.
It happened on December 8, 2025.
"Riding a bike, and he had a cardiac event, to which he went down. There were two bystanders behind him that started preforming CPR," he added.
DeSantis said firefighters at a nearby fire station rushed over and continued CPR.
They used an AED and transported him to a hospital, where he recovered.
DeSantis said he was excited to return to cycling after the incident.
"He always wanted to see the joy in things, and on the bike, he was joyful," said DeSantis.
"There's no reason we should leave our house on a bicycle and fear for our lives doing what we love," he added.
A spokesperson for FHP said the crash remains under investigation and has not said if the driver will face any charges.
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Cyclist struck and killed by car after surviving cardiac arrest months earlier
Craig Prather survived a cardiac arrest in December. Less than six months later, he was struck and killed by a car.
