Aaron Cohen remembered two years after death

Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash

MIAMI – Family, friends and Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz are remembering the life of  Aaron Cohen, a father and husband, who was tragically struck and killed while riding his bike on the Rickenbacker Causeway two years ago Saturday.

Members of Miami's cycling community, along with Diaz, were passing out bicycle safety lights to cyclists in order to raise awareness.

"It's very dangerous to ride a bike, it's very dangerous to run and walk, so we're trying to change that," said Diaz.

In February 2012, Michele Traverso's vehicle veered into the bike lane hitting a separate cyclist before fatally killing Cohen. Traverso served just 262 days in jail for his crime. It was a sentence that outraged the Cohen family and fellow cyclists. It sparked the "Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act," a measure designed to make penalties for hit-and-run drivers more severe. 

To learn more about the "Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act," click here.

"The ability to be accountable for your actions is part of being human and we have to have that accountability," said Diaz.