Last Updated: Saturday, 9:54 a.m.
Just as Bike Week is peaking for its final weekend, U.S. 1 north of Matanzas Woods Parkway became the scene of the week’s most serious crash this afternoon, resulting in the hospitalization of two men and a woman, one of them with traumatic head injuries. He had to be air-lifted from the scene.
The crash took place at 3:25 in the southbound lanes of U.S. 1, about half a mile south of the intersection with Old Kings Road.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol investigator at the scene, a group of four bikers, all from a family of Tampa residents, were riding together, south on U.S. 1. They were in the outside lane.
Daija Michelle Shavers, an 18-year-old resident of Orange Park, was driving south as well–also in the outside lane. “She just got up and plowed into them,” the investigator said, knocking them down one after the other. “She was in the outside lane, she came up on them and went through them.”
Shavers remained at the scene. She could not explain to the investigator what had happened. “There was no impairment,” he said. She could have fallen asleep, or may have been texting, the investigator surmised. “Right now it’s careless driving,” he said, referring to the possible charge Shavers may face.
The front right of her Ford was especially damaged.
“She wasn’t texting and she wasn’t falling asleep and there’s a lot of issues there,” Linda Wilson-Shavers, her mother, told FlaglerLive in a phone call later in the day, insisting that no “plowing” took place and suggesting that possibly her daughter may have “blacked out.”
The wreckages stretched over the length of a football field, with two of the four bikes knocked over in the grass. One of the bikes appeared not to have been struck, and was parked by roadside, its rider unhurt and standing and talking at the scene. All the other bikes exhibited damage.
A man and a woman were taken by ground to Florida Hospital Flagler. Both sides of U.S. 1 shut down for about 20 minutes as Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter, landed and took the third victim, a man, to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
As the investigator worked the scene, the man who’d survived the crash and Shavers stood at opposite ends, separated by the field of wreckage.
The southbound lanes of U.S. 1 remain closed from near the county line. The northbound lanes were open and had light traffic. Flagler County Fire Rescue, the Palm Coast Fire Department, the Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol all responded. The Palm Coast Fire Police regulated traffic.
John’s Towing was called to the scene but picked up only one of the bikes.
Oddly, Shaver’s mother attempted to give the Ford away to John’s Towing and reportedly left a note on the car, after taking off the car’s tag, saying that whoever towed it could have it.
“She did try to give it away,” John Rogers, owner of John’s Towing, said Saturday morning. His crews declined. “It sounded fishy to me,” he said. It was his understanding that someone from Jacksonville eventually towed the vehicle.
The road re-opened at 6:15 p.m.
Beverly Taylor says
Please look twice and save a life. Pay attention out there!
Lou says
In order to protect members of our law abiding society, texting feature of a cellphone should be de-activated by the phone company when the phone is traveling over 5mph.
woody says
ABSOLUTELY no reason this crash should have happened.Vote for NO cell phone use while driving.Fell asleep at the wheel?Oh please give me a brake.
Justin says
If she was texting shame on her, but I wasn’t there so I don’t know what happen. I just hope everyone will pull through.
Concerned says
I am gonna guess texting and driving caused this! Prayers for those injured!
daddybear says
prolly texting or yapping….NOT paying attention for sure!!! Hope all will be ok!!! People be aware!!! these tourists are new to the area mostly and don’t really look!!!
K. Schure says
She was probably on her phone. I see people texting all the time when they are driving
Fredrick says
Tragic…. Let’s see a march over the bridge to protest texting while driving. Let’s hear the outrage on this huge issue which causes hundreds and hundreds of deaths every year. Let’s see the media talk about tragedies like this that occur everyday and kill more people than guns do. Let’s hear the liberal politicians talk about this with the enthusiasm they have about guns. This type of thing is preventable and it’s not by banning cars. That car didn’t hit anyone, the person behind the wheel caused this. She is responsible. Prayers to those injured.
Really says
This week was so crazy i saw nearly multiple wrecks. People drive careless/reckless
Just Saying says
My question is..how do you hit one biker and not notice and stop but hit one after another leaving wreckage the length of a football field before realizing you are hitting them?? If she blacked out while driving she would have went off the roadway wouldn’t she? Seems this young lady should not be operating a vehicle whether she has a medical issue that causes her to black out or if she really didnt comprehend that she hit the first biker and it took hitting others before she realized it. Her mother says she wasn’t texting however she was not in the vehicle with her daughter to know that as fact, she could have been using her phone or one of those apps like Snapchat causing her to be distracted but again no one knows for sure because she was the only person in the car. Parents need to make their kids enable driver mode on their phones prior to vehicle operation and adults should as well. If her mother believes she blacked out then her daughter should not be eligible to have a license to operate a vehicle because that is a risk to that young lady and anyone else on the roadways.
BeechBoy says
Why is her mother’s thought’s even brought up? She is 18 years old.
My money is on she was texting while driving and innocent peoples lives were damaged…
phyllis kramer says
REVOKE HER DRIVING PRIVILEGES IMMEDIATELY. There is NO excuse.
Jenn says
Omg how horrible. Wtf was she doing?????
KK says
SMH
Paul says
Earlier the same day, I was headed south in the same area when a helmet-less biker and passenger moved from the right to left lane directly in front of me as I was overtaking him and two other motorcycles. Fortunately I was doing the speed limit, 65 mph, and paying attention, as he apparently was not and only doing 50 mph. Maybe instead of the rest of us “looking out for motorcycles”, these midlife crisis bikers who insist on playing dress up should look out for look out for the rest of us who live here. And by the way, the leather outfits you wear are for supposed to be for your protection. If you don’t wear a helmet, road rash will be the least of your worries.
Big Mouth says
This is sad and unbelievable! Maybe her hair impaired her vision? The way these kids drive these days maybe the legal age should be twenty-five.
Ron says
My guess is that texting will be determined to the cause.
Biker 2 says
GET OFF THE PHONE!!
mark101 says
From the NHSTA on teen driving
Teen Crash Stats – Get the Facts
In 2016, there were 2,082 teen drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes.
In 2016, 58 percent of all passenger fatalities of 15- to 18-year-old passenger vehicle drivers were unrestrained.
In 2016, almost 20 percent of the teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were drinking.
In 10 percent of fatal crashes involving a teen driver in 2016, the teen driver was distracted at the time of the crash.
In 2016, there were 2,288 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in crashes that involved passenger vehicle teen drivers aged 15 to 18 years old.
The young need to pay attention, put down the phone, pay attention to your driving.
Jolene dehart says
Blacked out? Perhaps shouldn’t be driving if she has blackouts. If it’s only this once then should see a doctor immediately. 18 years old with blackouts.
D W says
Something doesn’t sound right. If she were texting or blacked out, why didn’t she stop after the first bike she it? Instead she continued to plow into the other bikes. Sounds intentional to me.
Richard says
I challenge anyone to name any 18 year old teenager who NEVER texts while driving a vehicle. As I drive around the area from South Daytona all the way to St Augustine I am constantly aware of mostly young drivers using their phones either reading, texting or talking. I do see older drivers BUT there are far more younger ones using phones. Hell I have even witnessed LEO’s on their phones while driving. This situation will NEVER improve until people are held accountable for their actions with consequences that really HURT them financially big time. In regards to deactivating a mobile phone while in a moving vehicle is absurd. A mobile phone will never hurt anyone if a person NEVER uses it while driving. The same is said about guns. ANY type of gun only kills people when a person picks it up and pulls the trigger while aiming it at other people. PEOPLE are the problem here not the weapon be it a mobile phone or a gun. Change the people NOT the device!
Fredrick says
Exactly Mark101… and where is the outrage over this “mass murder” of our young ones. Where is the march over the bridge, where is the move to ban phones? Where are the politicians demanding change? And WHERE in the world are the editorials form our beloved Pierre on this issue? Where is the outrage people?
Melanie says
Sad thing is fhp will not charge this kid…they didn’t last year when the 2 girls got hit walking in the L section, killing one. They will cover it up or do a poor job investigating. There’s no accountability anymore.
Franklin says
Let’s see Frederick pull another false equivalency out of his butt! Such a clever child. Did you make sure to pose in the mirror while patting yourself on the back? But, hey, thanks for the “prayers.”
Charles says
She was there for at least an hour after the accident till her mom showed up with no medical attention or mom saying I took her to the hospital to be evaluated …nope my daughter wasn’t texting but blacked out ….then the update today where she took the tags off the car with a note she wrote and kept saying she wanted someone to have her car because she didn’t want it anymore …I understand trama and when it happens that you do things you don’t recall until later ..but just sounds odd to me that no mention of medical help ??
FlaglerLive says
Melanie, the investigation into the L-Section crash that killed Michelle Taylor is still open, so to say that no charges will be filed is premature.
j vander says
21 to buy a gun – 21 to drive a car – 21 to drink – 21 to vote If you don’t want your child or your self held responsible then don’t let them do it.
Anonymous says
I pray for those involved Our father was killed in August on Old Kings, the article is on here. We didn’t get anyJustice! I hope an article is written about the traffic fatalities in this County, to bring light to the reckless behaviors of those behind the wheel.. Not Careless there is a Difference…Until this is address more people will get seriously hurt or killed if stricter traffic laws are not enforced.
Dave says
NO MORE BIKE WEEK! This bike week crap has gotten way out of hand, it is worse than the Black College Reunion we used to have and got rid of, please end this senseless and dangerous tradition of BIKE WEEK. It clogs up our roads ,it’s way too loud, and attracts a bunch of drunk drug using low lifes.
Also put an end to TEXTING AND DRIVING once and for all!
r&r says
Dave. What if those 4 bikes were bicycles. Should we ban them too?
Gary says
I usually do not comment on things like this.
But I think they need to look into this ADULT!!!!
I DONT BELIEVE TEXTING, BLACK OUT OR FALLING ASLEEP.
She didn’t go off the road in her car, if you run over a can in your car you feel it. 3 motorcycles for 100 yards and then try and give your car away and take her license plate. They need to charge her, then take her to the hospital and do tests. CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN!!!!
Bc. says
They should have done a drug and alcohol test on her within the fist 30 minutes after she crashed into the bikes also they should check her phone to see if she was texting or talking on it. Because she obviously was not paying attention to driving. Hope she looses her license for a year and is sent to driving school.
can'tfoolme says
According to her mother, the girl “had issues”. I hope this is fully investigated and the “issues” are discovered and reported in a follow-up by Flagler Live. I don’t believe this had anything to do with a sudden blacking out and then conveniently recovering to the point where law enforcement determines that you’re not impaired. She may have even further issues when her insurance drops her and when these 4 bikers sue her. I agree about Bike Week, Dave – at least in this area. No bikers should take the risk of riding anywhere near Palm Coast or Daytona and the “low lifes” driving drunk, drugged, and without licenses/insurance/revoked.
smarterthanmost says
Raise the driving age to 21. No beer, no guns, no cars.
Wendy Harris says
I agree. Get rid of bike week. Thousands of drunks on bikes….. we have to watch out for them, Uhm how bout they need to stop acting like they run the Damn road.
Mark101 says
@ DAve the only good thing you said was “put an end to TEXTING AND DRIVING once and for all!”
Mary says
Check those phone records.
Concerned Citizen says
I hope the injured parties recover and the driver is held accountable for her actions.
If you drive a motor vehicle of any sort there is no excuse for texting or driving distracted. You don’t need to be staring at your phone while doing any speed down the road. It can wait.
I have to agree with Dave about Bike Week. Every year Bike Week is a zoo and gets worse. I have to drive a lot for my job and a lot of my route is A1A and US1. It’s miserable.
I see Bikes riding in large packs and side by side clogging the roads and causing unsafe driving conditions. I see bikes run stop signs and lights in order to stay together as a group or just because they don’t care. And the number of times they pull out into traffic is numerous.
Thru this past week I have not seen one bike pulled over by any law enforcement agencies. Interesting huh. Makes you wonder if local agencies are told to leave them alone because of the money they bring in to the area.
Fred says
Get rid of bikeweek suggestion is a dumb Idea. Why not get rid of everything YOU DONT LIKE or move is my suggestion
DRedder says
J Vander 100% agree.
Dave , you must be a transplant cause the overwhelming majority of folks who come to NE Florida are not only decent & law abiding but stimulate the local economy by the millions. Thus providing employment and increased financial opportunities to our resident population. I will agree that texting and driving is no Bueno, talking on the phone too. But hey I’m sure I’m not the only one that has witnessed some everyday frightening drivers that call Florida home.
Joe says
Black out my ass! This girl should be prosecuted for attempted murder!
Russell Savage says
She should be charged with 4 counts of attempted murder.
gmath55 says
woody the brake is in the car. Why would you want the brake?
Sherry says
Not to confuse anyone with actual FACTS. The (damned liberal) states of New York and Washington were actually the first ones to step up with laws against texting/holding a phone while driving. California followed in 2009:
States first began to address the threat of distracted driving caused by portable electronic devices in 2001 when New York instituted the first ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving [N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1225-c, 2001]. In 2007, Washington became the first state to enact an all-driver ban on texting which was subsequently strengthened from a secondary to a primary enforcement law in 2010 [Wash. Rev. Code § 46.61.688, 2007; Wash. Laws Chap. 223, 2010]. Primary enforcement laws enable a law enforcement officer to give a citation for a violation of the law; however, with secondary enforcement laws, another law must be violated before an officer can give a citation for the “secondary” offense.
Texting on a handheld device while driving has been illegal in California since 2009, but state law became even more restrictive as of Jan. 1. Now, California law makes it unlawful for a motorist to hold and operate any wireless device while at the wheel — even, for example, to check your GPS.
As usual, Florida is behind the majority of other states. This “liberal” has called for my home state’s laws to make texting while driving a PRIMARY offence for years. It’s our REPUBLICAN legislature that is dragging it’s feet on this issue, NOT the liberals!
Fredrick says
@Sherry thanks for the facts. Are you organizing the march over the bridge next “First Friday” to end the slaughter of our children by people who text and drive. Still waiting on Pierre’s editorial on this.
capt says
Get rid of Bike Week, got to be kidding. History, Bike week started in 1941, Palm Coast was established in 1975. Might as well say, get rid of Palm coast and all that live there. Bike week brings in and average of $74 million as compared to the Daytona 500 which only brings in $50 million. Bike week has nothing to do with this 18 year running over the bikers. They are riding on a state highway, obeying the law. I actually have more problems with elderly drivers, running stop signs, running red lights, changing lanes without a blinker , backing into cars at shopping centers So should we get rid of the elderly drivers, not going to happen and neither is getting rid of bike week.
the big issue here is our state government not passing the texting while driving ban in the senate by the stupidity of a Republican.. Republican state Sen. Rob Bradley has not yet allowed Senate lawmakers to vote on the measure, citing concerns about racial profiling and giving police the ability to look through your cell phone .The Florida House voted 112-2 in support of making texting while driving a primary offense,
Trailer Bob says
I find our laws as well as arrests and prosecutions in our area to be quite lacking. Where I came from this girl would have been drug tested, car thoroughly searched, and mommy wouldn’t have been allowed at the scene to talk to the daughter so she could come up with some excuses. There is no adequate reason to mow down four bikes on US 1. I see people all day on their phones texting, and I usually beep and give them the finger. It is also people of all ages that do it. WTF is wrong with people who don’t realize that a car is a machine and needs to be attended to constantly. Want to text? Pull over to damned sake. And I agree that you should be 21 before you are able to have a gun, drink alcohol, or drive a care. The rest of us are sick of being grouped in with kids whose brains are not even fully developed. Hope all the victims recover fully. And stop blaming Bike Week. If you don’t like it move. It has been a tradition for many, many years.
Sherry says
Actually Frederick, I’m currently still in South Africa for the next few weeks. But, I know I can count on YOU to organize that march, right?
I have actually signed petitions, written and called legislators at the state and national level on this subject. I’m sure YOU have as well, correct? :) Thought so. . . LOL!
Fredrick says
@Sherry I am surprised someone as well organized as you does not already have this taken care of. I will not be organizing the march since I did not have anything to do with the last one. I am looking for those hypocrites who piss and moan about our children being mascaraed in school, and on our streets with guns to show that their “compassion and caring” is more than just politically motivated. Maybe a march over the bridge to fight obesity which kills far more of our brothers and sisters than guns and texting while driving combined does. The march would would provide two things. A statement that the people crying about guns and texting are just not hypocrites but maybe people could lose some weight.
Sherry says
Ah. . . Frederick, YES I can also walk and chew gum at the same time.
I “actively” contact government leaders and contribute to organizations regarding the need for gun safety regulations. . . including a complete ban on automatic, semi-automatic guns and bump stocks, and controls on ammunition. . . at the “National” level, The need to strongly regulate distracted drivers, including texting, better care for mental illness, better nutrition to combat obesity and disease, better “public” education, a woman’s right to “choose” and control her own body, a need for a path to citizenship for the “Dreamers”. . . . . .as well as marching in peace protests and protests against trump.
NONE of these things are mutually exclusive. Life is what YOU make of it!
Sherry says
OOPS! Forgot to mention my active support of the vast majority of scientists on “Climate Change” and our responsibility to move away from fossil fuels and do everything we can to protect the environment of our planet for future generations. One of our most vitally important challenges!
II may have forgotten other issues I’m working on. . . but you get the picture. . . or not. . . it’s not a huge concern of mine.
Frank says
There has been plenty of times I’ve seen bikers let go of the throttle of their bike not caring about any vehicles behind them.
Dave says
So it’s the tax dollars we get from Bike Week that make it worth the lives and hassle. Ok well medical marijuana or legal marijuana would provide 10× the the revenue and triple the employment that bike week ever could. Look at history ,people on Florida have been smoking marijuana since the 1800’s
mark101 says
@ Dave, that has zero to do with a 18 year old girl running over bikers. Oh but maybe to slant it your way, she was on pot and her cognitive abilities were null and she just ran them over. Motorcycle riders ” Bikers “didn’t cause this accident a 18 year old ran over them,. She could have easily ran over bicycle riders on the side of the road riding their bicycles legally .
Dave says
Mark my comment was in response to Dredder, they say we need bike week to stimulate economy..How is it some one can get a noise ordinance ticket for listening to music too loud, but these bikes are allowed to break the noise law year after year, why don’t the cops police the noise coming from these annoyingly loud attention starved bikers?
Daphne says
Let’s wait for the truth to come out. I hope the injured recover.
Bill says
Those of you calling for an end to Bike Week ….. do you understand the magnitude of the economic impact that event has on Flagler County?
BTW …. this incident was a car hitting 4 motorcycles. Maybe the use of automobiles should be restricted during bike week?
woody says
BLM-Bikers lives matter
K says
Really Dave ? I’ve been a biker all of my life and have ridden my Harley in every state in the USA and part of Canada. As many many bikers have. Who do you think you are ! I’ve never taken an illegal drug in my life! Bike week has now gone on for 77 years and will not stop. As you can read in other posts, Bike Week brings in a lot of revenue. You need to get your head above ground.
NO MORE BIKE WEEK! This bike week crap has gotten way out of hand, it is worse than the Black College Reunion we used to have and got rid of, please end this senseless and dangerous tradition of BIKE WEEK. It clogs up our roads ,it’s way too loud, and attracts a bunch of drunk drug using low lifes.
Also put an end to TEXTING AND DRIVING once and for all!
YankeeExPat says
Frank
Most modern Full Dresser bikes are equipped with cruise control just like an automobile
Ray says
I can’t wait to hear why 1) she wanted to get rid of her car and as a pre ious poster stated 2) why was she not treated for blacking out
Way more to this story-
Ashley says
Whoever said to get rid of bike week is an idiot!! Let’s blame the victims for being hit by a dumb a*s kid who was most likely texting and driving with her dumba*s mother being her witness to texting and driving and not saying anything about it .. She ran over 3 individuals. She doesn’t know who she ran over.. these are good people. The girl who has a traumatic brain injury is the most sweetest and nicest person I have ever met and she did not deserve this to happen to her.. so instead of BLAMING THE VICTIMS.. WHY DONT WE BLAME THAT IDIOT DRIVER AND HER DUMBA*S MOM. They both should be held accountable and should be arrested and charged!!!!
Iva hadit says
Frederick, shame on you for politicizing this.
Dave says
K,you can ride your motor bike all over the world, that’s great, but I don’t see why we need a week of jammed roads ,loud noise ordinance breaking, drunk driving shannanigans. Bikers are attention starved ,that’s why hose darn bikes are so loud,no ther reason but attention and it’s annoying. NO one needs the revenue produced by Bike Week.
Jenn says
@Ashley, I am very sorry to hear your friend has a traumatic brain injury I pray to God she makes a full recovery. She needs to be held responsible 4 vehicular homicide if she gets a slap on the wrist I’m going to be pissed prayers to those who got injured not for the idiot who ran them over she deserves what’s coming to her