TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) — On average, the Florida Department of Transportation reports that eight people are killed and 49 are seriously injured on state roads every day.

It’s a statistic Julie Henning knows far too well after she was hit by a garbage truck while riding her bike a few years ago.

“I’m so so lucky to be standing here,” she explained.

She spent a month in the hospital with 14 broken bones, a crushed pelvis, and a traumatic brain injury.

“I have sustained a lot of physical injuries, but also emotional injuries just because I look normal; I am dealing with emotional trauma associated with the accident,” she said.

That’s why Henning organized an event at Treasure Island Beach Sunday, commemorating World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

State Representative Lindsay Cross spoke at the event.

“I’m a biker myself,” she said. “I took public transportation and rode my bike here this morning, and so I want to make sure our local cities and counties are doing everything they can to make it safe.”

So that people like Henning can feel safe when out on the roads

“Slow down,” Henning concluded. “Speed is a killer, so slow down and really put that cell phone down. Distractions and speed are a deadly killer.”