The 63-year-old Miami orthopedic surgeon suffered severe injuries in the Aug. 29 crash. His family is asking anyone who witnessed the collision or has video from the area to come forward.
The family of a cyclist critically injured in a collision with a car on the Rickenbacker Causeway is asking witnesses to come forward as Miami police continue to investigate the Aug. 29 crash.
The cyclist has been publicly identified by his family as Dr. Gilbert Beauperthuy-Rojas, 63, a longtime Miami orthopedic surgeon.
His brother-in-law, Carlos Mendia, said in a social media post that Beauperthuy-Rojas remained in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“We are desperately trying to find out what happened,” Mendia wrote.
Beauperthuy-Rojas was struck at about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 29 near 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway on Virginia Key, near Miami Marine Stadium, according to Miami police.
The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, police said.
A Miami Fire-Rescue employee familiar with the crash previously told the Spotlight that the driver was not believed to have been intoxicated and told authorities he had been distracted by his cellphone. The employee spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the incident.
Miami police have not confirmed those details or said what caused the crash.
The department told the Spotlight on Tuesday that the investigation remained ongoing and that there were no new developments to report.
Beauperthuy-Rojas is an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with HCA Florida Mercy Hospital and has practiced orthopedics in Miami for more than 25 years, according to HCA Florida Physicians.
Mendia has said publicly that Beauperthuy-Rojas suffered multiple serious injuries, including a spinal cord injury. Local 10 reported that his injuries included liver and kidney lacerations and that he had no movement from the waist down.
The crash is the latest serious cycling incident on a roadway with a long history of cyclist deaths and safety concerns. At least nine cyclists have been killed on the Rickenbacker Causeway since 2006, according to previous Spotlight reporting.
Calls for greater separation between cyclists and vehicles intensified after a cyclist was killed on the Bear Cut Bridge in 2006. Subsequent fatal crashes prompted additional safety measures, including new lane markings, vibration ridges and, later, green-painted bike lanes intended to make cyclists more visible.
Most recently, in August 2025, 54-year-old Fabian Moses died after being struck from behind while riding in the causeway’s eastbound bike lane. That collision involved a 14-year-old riding an electric dirt bike.
Read more: Bicyclist Killed on Causeway Raises Electric Vehicle Safety Concerns
For Beauperthuy-Rojas’ family, the immediate concern is determining what happened in the moments before the Aug. 29 crash.
Mendia has asked anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam, cycling-camera or cellphone footage from the area to contact him at 305-479-6889.
“If you saw anything, or if you have dashcam, cycling camera, or phone footage from the area,” Mendia wrote, “please share with me.”
He also asked that the appeal be circulated among local cycling, running and neighborhood groups.
