A Florida Central News article reports that officials with the Florida Highway Patrol are investigating a recent five-vehicle accident in Lakeland that claimed the lives of three people. FHP officials say that the accident occurred around 4 pm on U.S. Highway 98 just south of Rockridge Road when a Chevrolet pickup truck crashed head-on with a motorcycle. They say the pickup was driven by a 65-year-old woman who veered into the path of a motorcycle operated by a 55-year-old man.
The pickup’s driver was killed in the accident, as was the motorcycle’s passenger-a woman whose identity and age was not released by the FHP when the article was published. The 55-year-old motorcycle rider suffered critical injuries in the accident and was flown to Tampa General Hospital in a helicopter. The 51-year old driver of a Ford pickup truck behind the motorcycle also died in the accident. FHP officials say that he swerved to avoid the initial accident, but crashed into the left front of the oncoming Chevy pickup. The force of the collision caused the Ford pickup to land on its roof.
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A man accused of hitting and killing a motorcyclist while driving drunk has entered a not guilty plea to DUI manslaughter charges. This article in the Sun Sentinel reports that the man has a long history of negligent behavior behind the wheel, including a hit-and-run accident, drunk driving convictions, high-speed police chases and many traffic citations. By the time the 31-year-old man was arrested in Miramar in September 2009 and charged with killing a motorcyclist while driving under influence of alcohol, there was a warrant for his arrest in connection with two DUI cases in Maryland.
The September 8, 2009, drunk driving accident resulted in two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI property damage and one count of child neglect against the Miramar man. The man was reportedly driving his fiancé’s nine-year-old daughter to school that morning on Pembroke Road when he struck and killed a 43-year-old Davie man. According to arrest records released by Maryland prosecutors, it wasn’t the man’s first arrest for causing an accident while driving drunk.
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A recent article published in the East Volusia news discusses how the family of local businessman, motorcycle rider and charity organizer, Bruce Rossmeyer, is carrying on the family tradition of leading a charity motorcycle ride. The family said that the late Bruce Rossmeyer was especially enthusiastic about this year’s huge motorcycle ride to raise money for the children’s healthcare facility, Camp Boggy Creek. Rossmeyer’s family said that part of his enthusiasm stemmed from that fact that this year’s ride would be the 15th Annual Ride for Children. They said another reason Rossmeyer looked forward to this year’s ride was that the benefit was nearing the $4 million mark in money raised for the facility since the event began in 1994.
Camp Boggy Creek is a healthcare facility where children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses receive treatment, live and play games with other sick children at no cost to their families. This year’s Ride for Children is also the first charity ride without Mr. Rossmeyer leading the procession. He died in a motorcycle accident on July 30, 2009, in Wyoming while traveling to the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D. Mr. Rossmeyer’s son and four daughters took their father’s place at the front of the parade.
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A 45-year-old Jupiter man was killed recently in an early morning motorcycle accident after a pickup truck pulled out in front of him. As reported in the Sun-Sentinel, the accident happened before dawn on Indiantown Road just west of Interstate 95 near Taylor Road. The FHP spokesperson, Lt. Frith, said that the victim was wearing a helmet and protective lenses when he was killed. One eastbound lane of Indiantown Road was closed for two hours after the motorcycle accident occurred.
Emergency response personnel say that the victim was eastbound on Indiantown Road about 6:20 a.m. when a 53-year-old pickup truck driver pulled his truck out of the Sierra Square Shopping Center and drove into the path of the oncoming motorcycle.
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