Early in the morning on Friday, October 9th, an accident took place in Marion County that resulted in the death of a motorcycle rider. Reports from the Florida Highway Patrol stated that the incident took place shortly after 6:30 in the morning. At this time, a motorcycle being driven by a 45-year-old man from Dunnellon, was traveling down State Road 40, heading towards the intersection with SW 113 Terrace, close to where the city limits of Ocala begin.
At the same time as the motorcycle was traveling down this road, a dump truck was traveling down the opposite lanes of State Road 40. When the dump truck reached the intersection with SW 113 Terrace, the driver, a 57-year-old from Ocala, decided to make a U-turn. While U-turns are occasionally allowed, it is also the case that busier roads frequently have an ample amount of posted signs indicating that U-turns are, in fact, illegal.
Regardless of the legality of the U-turn, it is important for those making such turns to be aware of the traffic flow around them. On the Friday in question, the driver of the dump truck made the U-turn at a point in time when their decisions placed their extremely large vehicle directly in the path of the motorcycle.
The motorcyclist was not able to avoid the sudden entrance of the dump truck into their lane, and the smaller vehicle collided with the rear of the truck while still traveling at an advanced rate of speed. The force of the impact caused the cyclist to be thrown from their vehicle and onto the ground.
When paramedics and EMTs reached the area, there was little that they could do for the badly injured biker. The 45-year-old man was declared dead at the scene of the crash.
The 57-year-old truck driver remained at the scene while the preliminary investigation was underway, and it is believed that they are cooperating fully with the ongoing efforts by authorities to discover exactly what happened to cause the crash.
Sources:
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle accident, call at (386) 243-4994.
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