May 09. 2007 6:01AM
Bicyclist hurt in crash dies from his injuries
A bicyclist, injured in a crash on U.S. 441 late Monday in the city of Alachua,
died Tuesday at Shands at the University of Florida, the hospital reported.
Scott Dominion, 42, of Cincinnati was critically injured when he was struck by a
sport utility vehicle southbound on U.S. 441 near the intersection of 59th
Terrace, the Alachua Police Department reported.
A Chevy SUV, driven by Fred Davis, 60, of Fort White, hit the back end of
Dominion's bicycle, Detective Darry Lloyd said. Dominion struck the vehicle near
the passenger-side, side-view mirror. The accident occurred at about 8:45 p.m.
- Lise Fisher
TONIGHT: Tribute to a fallen friend
By ALICE WALLACE
Sun staff writer
May 16. 2007 5:08PM
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Friends and family of part-time Gainesville resident Scott Dominion say the
comedian and actor was one of the most healthy and Earth-conscious people they
knew.
Dominion, 42, was rarely seen in a vehicle, and it wasn't unusual for Dominion
to ride his bicycle 30 miles or more to get where he needed to go.
But on May 7, Dominion was fatally injured when he was struck by an SUV while
riding his bicycle along U.S. 441 in the city of Alachua as he rode home to
Gainesville from a yoga class he attended at the Temple of the Universe.
In honor of their fallen friend, many of Dominion's closest companions, along
with other area cyclists, will be participating in a Ride of Silence that will
begin near the Hippodrome at 7 Wednesday night.
The ride will last about an hour, and any area cyclists who want to participate
in the slow, silent ride are invited to attend.
Dominion's mother, Marilyn Coffey, who is in town from Cincinnati, says she will
be at the Hippodrome to see the cyclists off, in the hopes that the ride might
raise awareness of the dangers bicyclists face on the road.
"If it saves another mother from this kind of grief, I'll do whatever I can,"
Coffey said Wednesday afternoon.
For more on this story, see Thursday's Gainesville Sun.
Bike ride commemorates life of Gainesville resident
By ALICE WALLACE
Sun staff writer
May 17. 2007 6:01AM
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Part-time Gainesville resident Scott Dominion owned a van, but his friends say
he never used it.
His bicycle was his preferred mode of transportation, and it wasn't unusual for
him to pedal 30 miles or more to get where he needed to go.
But on May 7, Dominion's passion for cycling indirectly ended his life when a
motorist struck Dominion on U.S. 441 in Alachua with his SUV, fatally injuring
the 42-year-old comedian and actor.
"I was the ride he didn't wait for," said Bruce "B" Sherman, 50, who said he had
dropped Dominion off at the Temple of the Universe in Alachua for a yoga class
on the night of May 7, but Dominion chose to ride back to Gainesville on his
bicycle once the class was over.
According to Detective Darry Lloyd with the Alachua Police Department, the
driver of the SUV, Fred Davis, 60, of Fort White, told police he didn't even see
Dominion that night at 8:45 p.m. He said he felt a jolt, but had no idea what he
had struck until he went back to look. Police said Dominion had a front light,
but not a rear light.
Dominion was airlifted to Shands at the University of Florida after the
accident, but died the next day from his injuries. As of Wednesday, no charges
had been filed against Davis.
But Dominion's friends and family weren't content to let the memory of their
fallen comrade end after the memorial service on May 9. On Sunday night,
Dominion's friend, Dominique Giampaolo, 27, learned of a national Ride of
Silence taking place in cities throughout the country on Wednesday, and she felt
a local ride would be the perfect tribute to Dominion.
"The one thing that I really want expressed is we feel scared, frustrated and
angry on the road all the time," said Giampaolo, who is, herself, a regular
bicyclist. "I really want to see things change."
Thirty-five bicyclists gathered in front of the Hippodrome Theater Wednesday
night to take part in the Ride of Silence, and many were friends of Dominion.
Most in attendance felt that although Gainesville is more pro-active in terms of
bicycle safety than many cities, there is still much room for improvement.
"Everybody that rides knows someone who's been hurt," Sherman said.
As the riders prepared to set off on their hourlong ride that began by going
north along Main Street, Suzanne Morris read from the Ride of Silence poem, who
was attributed simply to "Mugai."
"Tonight's ride is to make others aware, the road is there for all to share,"
Morris read aloud, shouting over the din of the Farmer's Market taking place in
the Hippodrome courtyard. "To those not with us or by our side, may God be your
partner on your final ride."
Those in attendance Wednesday wore sashes tied to their arms, and all of the
riders wore black representing mourning for those who have been injured or
killed in bicycling accidents. Those who had, themselves, been hit by a vehicle
wore a second sash of red.
"We have friends who have passed away in accidents," said Gainesville resident
Nancy Seipp, 63, who is a recreational bicyclist with her friend, Mary Blake,
58.
"I'd say 98 percent of the (motorists) are good, but it only takes a few to make
things bad," Blake said of her opinion of the safety of bicyclists on area
roads.
In 2006 preliminary report, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles reported 90 crashes in Alachua County involving bicycles. In those
crashes, 81 people were injured, and two were killed. That compares to 66 people
injured in 2005, and no one was killed in a bicycle accident that year in
Alachua County.
But going back further, three people were killed in bicycle crashes in 2004, two
in 2003 and 2002, and four people were killed in 2001.
Morris said her main concern involving bicycle safety involves educating
motorists to share the road with bicyclists.
"If they just understand that it is our right, that would diffuse the
frustration with the cyclists and create more peace between the two," she said.
Dominion's mother and stepfather, Marilyn and Jimi Coffey, came down from
Cincinnati to attend the local memorial service for their son, and Marilyn said
it has simply broken her heart to lose her only son to such a tragic accident.
"I'm just so proud of him. I've been totally blessed with the most wonderful son
anyone could have," Marilyn said Wednesday.
She said her son lived his life the way she will now strive to, with an eye
toward saving their Earth and simply living as healthy as possible.
Marilyn gathered at the Hipprodrome to see the bicyclists off on their ride
Wednesday evening and said she hoped drivers who see the train of cyclists
carrying signs and wearing black arm bands would get the message.
"If it saves another mother from this kind of grief, I'll do whatever I can,"
she said.
Alice Wallace can be reached at 352-338-3109 or [email hidden].