Central Florida Facing a Concerning Spike in Severe Motorcycle Accidents

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 24, 2021

According to the recently released annual crash statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the number of motorcycle accidents throughout the state decreased from 8,896 in 2019 to 7,978 in 2020 – a reduction of 918 collisions from one year to the next. And while this was certainly good news for local law enforcement agencies at the time, authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol have recorded an alarming uptick in the number of collisions involving motorcycles within the past two weeks…especially around the Central Florida region.

In Orange County, the Orlando Police Department responded to dispatch calls regarding a fatal motorcycle accident on State Road 408 at close to midnight on Monday, January 11^th, 2021. When the officers arrived at the scene, they immediately discovered that two seriously injured victims – the driver and passenger of the motorcycle – had been ejected from their bike upon impact. The passenger was transported to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. However, 46-year-old Jason D. Rinker was not as fortunate and he passed away at the crash site.

Just a week later in Volusia County, another collision occurred on Wednesday, January 20^th, 2021, along North U.S. Highway 1 near Hull Road at approximately 5:30 p.m. Reports from the Ormond Beach Police Department indicated that Palm Coast resident Timothy Daniel Hardie was killed while driving his motorcycle southbound on Hull Road after a black sedan pulled out in front of him.

Both of these deadly collisions are currently under investigation. Depending on the outcome, it’s quite possible that the other drivers will face life-changing legal ramifications. And although that may provide some sense of closure for the families of these victims, it definitely doesn’t eliminate the devastating long-term effects of losing their loved ones.

Since 1977, Orlando motorcycle accident attorney James O. Cunningham has dedicated his life to providing the citizens of Florida with caring & compassionate legal representation. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact our firm today at 877-FL-INJURY.

Sources:

• Motorcyclist killed in Ormond Beach crash
• FLHSMV Traffic Crash Reports – Crash Dashboard

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.