Polk County Motorcycle Crash Kills 30-Year-Old Biker from Bartow

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 9, 2021

According to investigative authorities with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, a 30-year-old man from Bartow has been apprehended and charged with petit theft and tampering with evidence after he allegedly stole a backpack from a deceased biker who was killed in a motorcycle accident near the intersection of Old Connersville Road and State Road 60 this past Monday evening.

Preliminary collision reports from deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office indicate that it was close to 6 p.m. on Labor Day when 32-year-old Bartow resident Brittany Young and her two passengers, 29-year-old Anthony Spurlock and 30-year-old Christopher Moore, were all traveling in a beige-colored 2010 Chevrolet Malibu down Old Connersville Road after leaving the Connersville Bait & Tackle shop on State Road 60 in Polk County. As the sedan continued on its path toward the intersection of Old Connersville Road and S.R. 60, it veered into the eastbound lanes of the highway and into the direct path of a black and red 2016 Suzuki 600 motorcycle that was being driven by a 21-year-old Winter Haven resident Blake Adam Gilmore. The young biker, who was wearing a helmet and proper safety gear, was unable to avoid an accident with the Chevy Malibu and was ejected from his motorcycle when the two vehicles collided.

First responders and EMTs with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene of the deadly accident to find that the 20-year-old motorcyclist had already passed away from the severe life-threatening injuries he sustained in the collision. Authorities also noticed that both of the uninjured passengers from the Chevy Malibu had approached the fatally injured victim and were suspiciously walking away from the motorcyclist with a backpack in hand. When questioned about their actions, 30-year-old Christopher Moore allegedly confessed to taking the biker’s property from the crash site. He was arrested on the spot and taken to the Polk County Jail where he faces charges of petit theft and tampering with evidence.

Mr. Moore is a career criminal with a history of 6 felonies and 20 misdemeanor charges including criminal mischief, disclose testimony of witness for a grand jury hearing, domestic violence battery, driving with no driver’s license, failure to appear, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, resisting an officer without violence, trespassing, and violation of probation. He is currently in jail with a $1500 bond.

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.