OKEECHOBEE - A jogger was struck by a car last week as she ran along the fog line on Southwest 32nd Street.

At approximately 8 a.m. on April 7, a 58-year-old woman was hit by the passenger side mirror of a jeep as it passed her. According to the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office report, the vehicle and the woman were both traveling in an eastbound direction when the accident occurred. The woman was knocked down and came to rest on the grassy shoulder of the road. Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded to the scene and transported the victim to Raulerson Hospital.

The report notes that heavy glare from the sun was a major contributer to the accident. A witness in a vehicle traveling behind the jeep confirmed the limited visibility and said she did not see the woman either.

According to OCSO Deputy Adrian Rogers, “Florida Statutes require a three-foot right of way to all pedestrians. However, Florida Statues also require all pedestrians not walk along and upon the portion of a roadway paved for vehicle traffic. Pedestrians are required to walk only on the shoulder on the left side of the roadway in relation to the pedestrian’s direction of travel, facing traffic which may approach from the opposite direction.”