Pensacola man killed in motorcycle accident, four others injured

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Around 10 p.m. on Friday night, a 45-year-old Pensacola man and his 60-year-old passenger were driving a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle northbound on U.S. 21 near Atmore, Alabama. Another driver didn’t see their motorcycle, and the result was a massive car and motorcycle accident that resulted in the biker’s death and serious injuries to four people.

Making a turn, a Ford pickup truck pulled onto U.S. 21 from Sunset Drive — right into the path of the motorcycle. The bike slammed head-on into the driver’s side of the pickup truck. The force of the collision was so great that it flipped the pickup truck onto its side. It also threw the motorcyclist and his passenger from the bike.

The Pensacola motorcyclist was pronounced dead on the scene. His passenger was taken to Atmore Community Hospital for treatment, and later transferred to another facility.

The pickup truck driver, a 59-year-old man from Uriah, Alabama, and his two passengers were also seriously injured. The driver, a 38-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both from Uriah, were transported to hospitals in Alabama.

The cause of the fatal motorcycle accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, but it should serve as a stark reminder to all motorcyclists and drivers. Right-of-way violations — typically caused by other drivers not seeing motorcycles — are one of the man causes of serious injuries and wrongful deaths from motorcycle accidents.

Look right, look left, and then look right again. Be on an active lookout for motorcycles on the roadways, especially as spring arrives. As always, please ride and drive safely.

Source: Pensacola News Journal, “Motorcyclist dies in crash in south Alabama,” Travis Griggs, February 21, 2011