RSSMotorcyclist Dies in Hillsborough County Crash Near Tampa
Early on the morning of February 21st, a man from the city of Largo was riding a motorcycle along I-275 in Hillsborough County, close to Tampa, when something happened to cause him to lose control of the vehicle. It was close to 3:00 in the morning when the motorcyclist, a 51-year-old, was on their 2007 Suzuki and traveling down the southern lanes of I-275. Along the stretch of I-275 down which the motorcyclist was traveling, there exists a bridge that takes I-275 over Lois Avenue. The 51-year-old motorcyclist had just reached this bridge when, for reasons that are not currently clear, something caused them to crash their motorcycle.
Reports from the the Florida Highway Patrol state that alcohol was not a contributing factor to the incident. They do not state whether or not the same can be true for excessive speed, and at the time of this writing there have not been further updates from the authorities regarding this incident. What we do know is that after losing control of their motorcycle the motorcyclist was not able to regain control of the vehicle. The bike left the road via the left shoulder and struck the guardrail. It is not clear if the guardrail lay between the northern and southern lanes of I-275 or if the motorcyclist crossed out of the southern lanes and into the northern lanes before striking the guardrail.
After colliding with the guardrail, the 51-year-old motorcyclist was thrown from their vehicle. The force of the crash propelled the rider forward with enough force to cause them to shoot over the guardrail and off of the overpass, leaving them to fall an unspecified distance until they collapsed onto Lois Avenue. It is not known whether or not there was much traffic driving down Lois Avenue at the time, but the report does not state that any other motorist struck the 51-year-old after they fell. It is not clear who called 9-1-1 to report the incident, but by the paramedics and EMTs arrived at the scene there was nothing that could be done for the badly injured motorcyclist. They were declared dead at the scene of 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.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.