Friends Remember Cyclist & Push For Tougher Penalties

KEY BISCAYNE (CBSMiami) – County leaders, co-workers, friends and family members of cyclist Aaron Cohen came together Saturday morning to mark the two-year anniversary of his death.

Cohen was killed in 2012 on the Rickenbacker Causeway by a hit-and-run driver.

County Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz attended the early morning event at the toll plaza entrance.

The driver that struck Cohen, Michele Traverso, was sentenced to less than a year in jail.

Cohen's death has sparked a movement to toughen penalties for drivers who leave the scene of an accident.

At the event, 500 safety bicycle lights were handed out along with flyers about safety and sharing the road with cyclists.

Commissioner Diaz, who spoke at the Florida Senate last month in favor of stricter hit-and-run laws, also is sponsoring a County resolution to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety on the Rickenbacker Causeway, Brickell Avenue, South Bayshore Drive and the surrounding area.