As announced by the Police Department, on Saturday at about 13:28 in the Neringa municipality, on the 23rd kilometer of the Nida–Smiltynė road, a man born in 1983, riding an electric bicycle on a bike path, lost control in a curve, went off the road, and crashed into a tree. The cyclist died in the traffic accident.
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Local residents and Neringa mayor D. Jasaitis immediately pointed out that this place is not officially a bike path. It is not even marked. The road laid by the Curonian Spit National Park Directorate leads from the cormorant nesting site to Pervalka.
“It is very steep, almost a 90-degree angle. Riding it is extremely dangerous. The man was wearing a helmet, but it did not help. The man was not a local because locals know this place well and avoid it,” said the mayor.
Lina Dikšaitė, head of the Curonian Spit National Park Directorate, emphasized that it is a bike path, but of local significance. “No, it is not part of Eurovelo, but it leads from Juodkrantė to that official path,” the interlocutor said. According to her, the Saturday news shocked all colleagues.
“Still, this is a forest and you need to be very careful. You never know if an animal will run out or if a branch will get in the way, because the surface on this path is mixed,” added L. Dikšaitė.
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The accident happened very close to the so-called Ram Hill.
Discussions will be held with the services so that they mark this place at the start of the season.
Speaking with a journalist, the mayor of Neringa also drew attention to another problem: some cyclists have turned recreational paths into racing tracks. Last year there were several cases when cyclists speeding collided with others, especially small children.
“The path is for vacationers. Families ride here, carrying children in seats. Nowhere else do racers speed on such paths. But they ride fast, in groups, at 50-60 km per hour,” noted D. Jasaitis.
According to him, this issue was raised last year, but no changes occurred.
Concern is also raised by some cyclists’ habit of carrying loudspeakers – this disturbs the trips of other cyclists and shows disrespect for the environment and the unique nature of the Curonian Spit.
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