Cyclists concerned as deadly hit-and-runs become trend in Tampa Bay Area

TAMPA, Fla. - Fatal hit-and-runs involving bicyclists are plaguing the Tampa Bay region.

On Tuesday night, in East Tampa on East 21st Avenue and North 19th Street there was a hit-and-run. Then, last week on Causeway Boulevard a driver hit and killed a cyclist and left the scene.

WATCH: VIDEO: Car strikes bicyclist in fatal hit-and-run in Tampa

Just a few weeks before that, in Polk County, the driver of a pick-up truck hit and killed a 9-year-old boy on his bike. That driver also sped off.

A 9-year-old was this victim of a fatal hit-and-run crash.

"I’ve actually started biking a lot less because it just, I can feel the statistics are not in my favor the more that I go out on my bike," said Dayna Lazarus, an avid cyclist and bicycle advocate.

READ: FHP: Plant City man arrested after fleeing hit-and-run crash

According to the "crash dashboard" from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, data from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Polk Counties shows the amount of bicycle crashes in those four counties so far this year, has been just over 1,300. Last year, there were just over 1,400 crashes.

Data shows the amount of bike fatalities so far this year has been 36, and last year, 47 cyclists were killed.

As for hit-and-run crashes, which include bicycles and pedestrians, there have been over 13,000 so far this year. Last year, there were almost 17,000.

So far this year, 41 people have been killed in hit-and-run-crashes. Last year, 44 people were killed.