Commissioner Diaz will join Gov. Scott at ceremonial signing of Aaron Cohen law

(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY) – Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who has been a strong advocate for cyclists, will join Gov. Rick Scott next week at the signing ceremony for the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, which improves road safety by getting tough on hit-and-run drivers.

The signing ceremony will take place on Wednesday, July 16, at 4:45 p.m. at Crandon Park Marina, 4000 Crandon Blvd., in Key Biscayne. Aaron Cohen’s widow and other family members and friends will be in attendance.

The Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, which became law on June 24, imposes a minimium mandatory sentence of four years for drivers who flee the scene of a fatal accident – the same as for DUI manslaughter. The law was named in honor of cyclist Aaron Cohen, who was killed in 2012 on the Rickenbacker Causeway by a hit-and-run driver who was sentenced to less than a year in jail because there was insufficient evidence to prove he was drunk.

“I commend Gov. Scott for coming to Miami to sign this important law, which will save lives while honoring the memory of Aaron Cohen and of all those who have died at the hands of hit-and-run drivers,” Commissioner Diaz said.

Commissioner Diaz has been a strong advocate for improving roadway safety. Last year, he sponsored a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to pass the Aaron Cohen bill. He has also worked closely with bicycling clubs and the Aaron Cohen Initiative on their lobbying efforts, and in January he traveled to Tallahassee to speak at a Senate hearing about the bill. He also sponsored legislation to implement bicycle and pedestrian safety measures on the Rickenbacker Causeway and surrounding roadways. He is currently working on legislation to install safety signs at the entrance to Rickenbacker Causeway to remind motorists to share the road with bicyclists and pedestrians.