An evening motorcycle ride recently turned fatal for one man after a rear-end collision threw him off his motorcycle, fatally injuring him. The 64-year-old man, who was driving a Harley-Davidson, was traveling northbound on Florida’s Turnpike when he became an accident victim.
The motorcycle accident happened on the evening of Jan.4, just after the sun went down. The motorcyclist was on Florida’s Turnpike in Stuart, 90 minutes outside Miami, when he slowed down for traffic. His brake lights were on, but the driver behind him claimed she did not see them. The 23-year-old proceeded to rear-end him, knocking him off the motorcycle into the emergency lane. He was then hit by a vehicle driven by a 70-year-old man. The motorcyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the accident scene.
It is unknown if the woman will face criminal charges, but given the fact that those who rear-end other vehicles are almost always at fault for such accidents, she may be held liable for her actions. Since it was dark, there should have been no way that she could not have seen the motorcycle’s brake lights.
So what was the real cause of the accident? It is possible that she could have been a distracted driver. When traffic slowed down, she may have been using that time to text friends, make phone calls or check email. In any case, her role as a negligent party could cause her to face vehicular homicide charges or a wrongful death lawsuit from the man’s family. She may end up having to pay dearly, either in monetary means or in jail time.
Source: Palm Beach Post, “Man dies in motorcycle accident on Florida’s Turnpike in Martin County” Stacey Singer, Jan. 05, 2014
