A bicyclist was injured in a crash with a tractor Tuesday morning that snarled traffic on Morse Boulevard in The Villages.

The crash happened at about 10 a.m. on Morse Boulevard at Martinez Drive near the entrance to the Village of Rio Ranchero.

Witnesses said the bicyclist was northbound on Morse Boulevard when the driver of an end-loader was making a left turn and “left hooked” the bicyclist.

The seat of the bicycle was in the roadway after separating from the bicycle in the collision.

The collision was so powerful that it knocked the seat off the bicycle and it was laying in the roadway. The bicyclist was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

The Florida Highway Patrol has been called in to investigate the crash, which was forcing detours on Morse Boulevard for much of the morning. 

The Florida Highway Patrol was called in to investigation the crash involving a bicycle and a tractor. The bicyclist’s helmet can be seen on the ground near the feet of a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Villages Public Safety Department and Community Watch also responded to the scene.

Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466 has long been a concern of residents who claim it is dangerous. A local official several years ago called upon the Sumter County Commission to take action to ensure safety on that heavily traveled section of Morse Boulevard.

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