70-year-old Palmetto man hit and killed after his bike went into busy road, police say 

A 70-year-old Palmetto man on a bicycle was hit and killed by a vehicle on Thursday morning, shutting down a major road for hours, Palmetto Police Department said.

The crash happened around 9:45 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Eighth Avenue West, just north of 19th Street West in Palmetto.

Police say 70-year-old Curtis Majo was riding northbound along Eighth Avenue on the sidewalk. For unknown reasons, police say Majo rode off of the sidewalk and into the southbound traffic lanes of Eighth Avenue.

A driver traveling southbound in the outside lane of Eighth Avenue was able to slam on the brakes and avoid hitting the bicyclist, police say. But a vehicle in the inside lane did not stop in time and hit Majo.

The Palmetto resident died at the scene, the police department said. No other injuries were reported.

A portion of Eighth Avenue West, a busy Manatee County traffic corridor, was closed from around 9:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. as officers investigated the crash.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, but no charges are expected.