A 25-year-old killed in a hit-and-run was a college cycling champion training for his next competition, according to a Facebook post.
The cyclist was killed in Jefferson County when he was struck Friday, Sept. 22 by a pick-up truck driven by a 60-year-old man, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release. The vehicle, which was driving south on Wacissa Springs Road, hit the cyclist on the road and fled the scene, the release says. After being flown to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, the cyclist later died.
The driver, who police say hit the cyclist, was found “a short time later” with “the bike impaled into the front grill area” of the truck, the release says. The driver was sent to a hospital by emergency services for “unrelated injuries,” according to Florida officials.
In a commemorative Facebook post, the nonprofit organization USA Cycling identified the cyclist as Florida State University PhD student Jake Boykin. He was on “his final training ride” ahead of the Six Gap Century race in northern Georgia, the post says. That race was held Sept. 23 and 24.
At Florida State University, Boykin was pursuing a PhD in muscle physiology, the post says. Previously, he went to Texas Tech University for his master’s degree and Gustavus Adolphus College for his bachelor’s degree.
Outside of the classroom, Boykin was a competitive cycling champion. In May, he won the club individual time trial at the 2023 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships, the post said. Florida State University posted on Facebook in celebration of Boykin’s win at the time, commending him for his fourth place finish in the overall men’s open too.
The USA Cycling memorial post included a statement from Boykin’s friends and family, which reflected on his “enthusiasm for life” and his “passion to make himself and others better.”
“For every bit as incredible a cyclist as Jake was, he managed to be an even more incredible human being,” the statement read.
His love and “willingness to invest in listening” to everyone he met was “awe-inspiring,” the statement said.
“Both on the bike and off, Jake was a force. He was the bright ray of sunshine that this world needs more of,” the USA Cycling statement read. “The Tallahassee cycling community is shocked and saddened by his tragic passing, but more than anything, we are immensely honored and privileged to have been given the gift of his companionship. We love you, Jake! May you rest in peace.”
