Motorcycle week was really Motorcycle Ten Days this year, according to organizers. Actually, Daytona Beach Bike Week, as it is officially known, has grown more subdued over the years. Officials had been bracing for excitement because the main motorcycle event coincided with spring break for a lot of college students. Each event on its own is usually enough to stress out public safety officials, but this year was mercifully pleasant for the most part. Lower than record attendance for both events and cooler weather accounted for the lack of calamity.
Florida Motorcycle Accidents
Not to say that there weren’t tragedies. Florida still leads the nation in motorcycle accident fatalities. And the influx of motorcycles for biker rallies throughout the state did lead to many serious motorcycle accidents. In Melbourne, Palm Bay and Titusville, authorities reported several serious injuries from motorcycle crashes. There were several motorcycle accident fatalities around the state. One biker was killed and another seriously injured when a pickup truck struck a group of motorcyclists stopped on the shoulder of the Florida Turnpike outside of Fort Lauderdale.
A common cause of car-motorcycle accidents is a car turning in the path of a cyclist. An accident killed a man near Tallahassee in a motorcycle-car crash when a driver turned his car into the cyclist’s lane. A similar car-motorcycle accident killed a biker in Ft. Meyers. Another motorcyclist died at the scene when a motorcycle collided with a turning vehicle in Hillsborough County.
In one of the more bizarre incidents, a cyclist was motoring down Black Creek Highway in Walton County. He was minding the traffic laws and his own business when a buzzard flew into him. The collision knocked him off of his motorcycle. First responders took him to the hospital. He was not wearing a helmet.
If you or a loved one experiences injury or loss from a motorcycle accident, contact the Orlando motorcycle attorneys at Martinez Manglardi. Call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation. Offices throughout Florida.