A collision outside a west Boynton Beach synagogue left an e-bike rider critically injured after his bicycle struck the side of an SUV turning into a driveway entrance along South Jog Road.
The September 10 crash outside Temple Torah of West Boynton Beach raises important questions about the dangerous conflict zone created when motor vehicles turn across sidewalks and riders travel alongside a busy roadway. These crashes are often called “right-hook” collisions because a turning vehicle cuts across the path of a cyclist, e-bike rider, or other vulnerable road user traveling straight ahead.
But the preliminary facts in this case also show why serious-injury investigations must be based on evidence, not assumptions. Both the turning SUV driver and the e-bike rider had duties to exercise reasonable care, and the eventual liability determination will likely depend on video footage, speed, visibility, roadway design, and the timing of the turn.
What Happened Outside Temple Torah
According to preliminary reporting on the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigation, the crash occurred at approximately 4:29 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2026, outside Temple Torah of West Boynton Beach, located at 8600 South Jog Road.
Thomas Klett, 46, of Delray Beach, was riding an electric bicycle southbound on the east sidewalk beside South Jog Road. At the same time, Alicia M. Laurence-Bersch, 64, of Boynton Beach, was driving a 2025 Lincoln Corsair southbound in a left-turn lane and turning into the Temple Torah driveway.
The front of the e-bike struck the driver-side rear door of the SUV. Klett was thrown from the e-bike and taken to Delray Medical Center in critical condition. The SUV driver and her passenger were not reported injured.
The preliminary account reported by local media states that Klett entered the roadway at a high rate of speed without stopping as the SUV turned into the driveway. The sheriff’s investigation remains open, and no final fault determination or public citation outcome has been reported.
Why Driveway Turns Are Dangerous
Drivers often focus on vehicles approaching from behind or in the adjacent travel lane when turning into a parking lot, church, school, synagogue, shopping center, or residential driveway. That is not enough.
A driver turning across a sidewalk or a path used by cyclists must watch for people traveling in the direction of traffic and people approaching from the opposite direction. The driver must also account for the fact that an e-bike can approach faster than a conventional bicycle.
On a road like South Jog Road, a turning driver should:
- Signal early and reduce speed before beginning the turn.
- Check mirrors, blind spots, the sidewalk, and the driveway crossing.
- Look again immediately before crossing a sidewalk or shared-use area.
- Yield when required and avoid entering the driveway until the path is clear.
- Recognize that a person on an e-bike may approach more quickly than expected.
A driver who turns across an occupied sidewalk or driveway crossing without a proper lookout can cause a devastating injury in seconds. In a collision involving a larger SUV and an e-bike rider, the rider has no protective vehicle frame, airbag, or seatbelt to absorb the impact.
E-Bike Riders Have Duties Too
Florida law recognizes that people riding bicycles along sidewalks or across roadways have rights and duties that generally resemble those of pedestrians in the same circumstances. Riders on sidewalks must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing them.
The law is more complicated for e-bike riders because e-bikes can travel substantially faster than traditional bicycles and can place riders in a roadway or driveway conflict zone with little time for either person to react. Whether a rider was traveling at an unsafe speed, entered the roadway abruptly, failed to stop, or had adequate lighting and visibility may all become relevant in a crash investigation.
The reports in the Temple Torah crash say the e-bike rider entered the roadway at a high rate of speed and did not stop before the collision. That reported fact must be considered. It could affect the allocation of fault. But it does not automatically resolve the case.
A driver entering a driveway still must keep a proper lookout and make the turn only when it is safe. The driver’s duty to watch for a cyclist or e-bike rider does not disappear simply because the rider may have been moving quickly.
The Rear-Door Impact Matters
The reported impact point the SUV’s driver-side rear door is likely to become a central issue in determining how this crash happened.
Insurance companies may argue that a rear-door impact proves the SUV had already completed most of its turn before the e-bike rider arrived. That could support the position that the rider approached too quickly or failed to yield.
But impact location is not the entire story. A complete reconstruction should still examine:
- Whether the driver checked the sidewalk and driveway crossing before turning.
- How long the SUV had been moving across the e-bike’s path.
- Whether the SUV signaled or slowed before turning.
- Whether the rider had a clear view of the vehicle’s turn.
- The e-bike’s actual speed before impact.
- The location of the rider immediately before entering the driveway area.
- The configuration, markings, sightlines, vegetation, lighting, and traffic conditions at the entrance.
- Camera footage from Temple Torah, adjacent properties, nearby vehicles, and area businesses.
- Whether the vehicle’s onboard data or camera systems recorded braking, speed, steering, or the impact sequence.
A rear-door collision may be meaningful evidence, but it is not a substitute for a complete investigation. Video evidence often provides the clearest answer in driveway-turn crashes.
Serious E-Bike Injuries Need Immediate Attention
E-bike crashes can produce severe injuries because the rider is exposed directly to impact with a vehicle, pavement, curbs, and fixed objects. A person who is thrown from an e-bike may suffer traumatic brain injuries, facial fractures, spinal injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, nerve damage, or injuries requiring surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
When someone is critically injured, the legal investigation should begin quickly. Important evidence can disappear within days or weeks.
A thorough investigation may include:
- Preserving security-camera footage from Temple Torah and neighboring properties.
- Obtaining any dash-camera or onboard-camera footage from the SUV.
- Locating witnesses and documenting their recollections promptly.
- Reviewing the SUV’s event data recorder, if applicable.
- Examining the e-bike for braking, lighting, and mechanical evidence.
- Inspecting the driveway, sidewalk, lane layout, signage, markings, and sightlines.
- Collecting medical records to document treatment needs, permanency, and future costs.
- Identifying all applicable auto, health, uninsured-motorist, and underinsured-motorist insurance policies.
Early evidence preservation is especially important when a crash occurred near a large facility or commercial-style driveway, where video systems may overwrite recordings quickly.
What Families Should Know After an E-Bike Crash
The Temple Torah crash demonstrates why families should avoid making assumptions about liability before all facts are known. The rider may have been traveling quickly. The SUV may have turned across a path that was not clear. The final evidence could support one explanation, shared responsibility, or another contributing factor entirely.
What is clear is that a person riding an e-bike was critically injured in a collision with an SUV at a driveway entrance. The investigation should examine every factor that contributed to that result.
Families facing catastrophic injuries should focus first on medical care and evidence preservation. A personal injury attorney can investigate the crash independently, communicate with insurers, protect the injured person from premature recorded statements, and evaluate potential compensation for medical expenses, lost income, future care, pain and suffering, and other legally available damages.
About Fetterman Law
Fetterman Law represents people seriously injured in bicycle, e-bike, pedestrian, motorcycle, and motor-vehicle crashes throughout Palm Beach County, Martin County, St. Lucie County, Indian River County, Okeechobee County, and the Treasure Coast. Complex collisions involving turns, driveways, sidewalks, and disputed liability require an early, detailed investigation.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an e-bike or bicycle crash, contact Fetterman Law for a free consultation. There are no attorney’s fees unless compensation is recovered.
