Motorcyclist dies after being struck by pickup in intersection

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

All it takes is a glance down to something in your car. Or a cell phone call that proves distracting. Or a sleepy haze that prompts nodding off.

Any of these things can cause an accident. Sometimes the consequences are fatal. An accident in Florida this week killed a motorcyclist. Witnesses say the 20-year-old driver of the pickup truck that collided with him was talking on her cell phone prior to the motorcycle accident.

The motorcyclist, who was 74 years old, was reportedly operating his Suzuki GZ250 motorcycle north on West Anthony Road. The pickup truck driver was headed west on Northwest 35^th Street and approached its intersection with West Anthony Road.

According to reports, the motorcyclist and the pickup truck driver came to the intersection, which is controlled with a flashing light and a four-way stop, at roughly the same time. Witnesses say the motorcyclist had the right-of-way, but the other driver shot out into the intersection before it was her turn. Witnesses also claim that when she got out of her vehicle after the accident, she said something to the effect of, “I’ve got to call you back.”

The driver of the truck, who later denied being on her phone at the time, was reportedly ticketed for violating the right-of-way at a four-way stop intersection. The motorcyclist was transported to a Gainesville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to reports, the man’s daughter says her father simply loved riding his motorcycle and was just out on one of his routine rides. Unfortunately, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.