An environmental activist died Saturday after an SUV hit him in Florida during his barefoot hike along a highway to “save the earth.”
According to The Daily Mail, Mark Baumer started his barefoot journey across the country in October to raise funds for a Rhode Island environmental group that opposes the natural gas industry. Florida Highway Patrol confirmed Baumer was hit on the shoulder of Highway 90 in Walton County.
In 2010 the vegan environmentalist previously walked across the country in 81 days, The Daily Mail noted. However, he wore shoes during that trek.
He told Vice in December that walking barefoot was painful and the walk was less harsh on his feet if he stepped on the white line on the border of the road because it was the smoothest area. He also told the website that he did not step aside for cars but did move for trucks. “They’ll really mess you up,” he said.
He wrote blog posts about his trip at the site ‘notgoingtomakeit.com.’ The unsettling photo for his last blog post shows an image of a spray painted yellow arrow and text saying “killed” on road pavement.