Driver Taken Into Custody for Fatal Bicycle Accident in Orlando

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 16, 2022

After over a year of eluding local investigators, authorities in Orange County were finally able to apprehend a 29-year-old St. Augustine man for his alleged connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a 52-year-old bicyclist last year in Orlando.

According to reports from the initial collision which occurred on August 28, 2021, 52-year-old Wallace Afford was riding his bicycle in the westbound direction of Kaley Street in Orlando while wearing safety gear illuminated with reflective lights. As the bicyclist approached the 100th block of West Kaley Street, 29-year-old Martin Collante entered the area from the eastbound direction in a black 2021 Toyota Camry. Collante was driving erratically and swerved in and out of oncoming traffic at speeds topping 77 mph in a 30 mph zone. The 52-year-old bicyclist attempted to move out of the way for the speeding Camry, but was struck and killed by the vehicle before successfully doing so.

Legal affidavits from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office indicate that immediately after the car vs. bicycle accident occurred, Martin Collante fled the scene in his badly damaged Toyota Camry. Traffic cameras mounted along the neighboring streets showed smoke billowing from the Camry’s engine as Collante drove in the direction of the Hidden Creek Condominium Complex where he was allegedly seen with blood all over his clothes. Officers believe that Collante later disposed of the Toyota Camry in a water retention ditch located along South Oxalis Avenue.

Although the specific details surrounding Martin Collante’s arrest have not been made public, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has stated that Collante has been charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a crash with death, failure to render aid, and tampering with physical evidence.

Since 1977, Orlando wrongful death lawyer James O. Cunningham has been providing compassionate legal representation to families who have lost a loved one in a hit-and-run accident, wrong-way car crash, head-on collision, bicycle accident, rear-end collision, pedestrian accident, or T-bone accident. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please fill out a contact form on our website or call our office directly at 877-FL-INJURY.

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.