SWFL.io - Local NewsGATEWAY, Fla. (WINK) — A memorial now marks the spot where a cyclist was killed in a crash last weekend on Plantation Gardens Drive.
61-year-old Salvador Cocco died at the scene, according to Fort Myers police. A cross at the center of the growing memorial reads "Rest in Peace Salvador Cocco."
Alan Duff was in the area when the crash happened and rushed to help.
"I was biking coming across the road here, and I saw chaos," Duff said.
Duff didn't witness the crash itself but arrived immediately after. He found a doctor and two nurses already on scene providing aid.
"If they had called 911, if the people there were helping with the needs. I found out it was a doctor on scene and two nurses. So I went over here to help out with the direction, just kind of keep traffic away," Duff said.
The crash left Duff shaken for the rest of the day. Cocco was part of a family-run business based in Bonita Springs and worked as an importer of Italian specialty foods.
"From what I see of the victim, he was a well-respected entrepreneur in the area," Duff said.
Cocco was also a father of three. The loss hit close to home for Duff, who has four children of his own.
"As a father of four children, it's near and dear to my heart. It just makes you realize how precious life is, how it can be taken from you in such a short moment of time," Duff said.
The investigation remains active. WINK News reporter Haley Jacobs spoke with family members who declined to comment on camera as they work through their grief.
"My heart goes out for the family," Duff said.