On a radiant day busy with Biketoberfest riders crisscrossing Flagler County roads in virtually every direction, a 58-year-old man from Florida became the county’s first trauma-alert victim a little after 11 a.m. today (Saturday, Oct. 20) when his right-of-way was cut off by a driver who didn’t see him. The victim suffered violent injuries, particularly to his legs, but is expected to survive.
A 2-year-old child was in the car, and sustained minor injuries.
The wreck took place in front of 503 South Old Dixie Highway, a few hundred yards east of the White Eagle bar. Christina Brennan, 20, of Palm Coast, was driving a white 2012 Kia Forte east on Old Dixie. The motorcyclist, Cecil Johns, 58, of Hawthorne, Fla., was on a Harley Davidson FLH, traveling west. No speed was involved. Brennan, a Florida Highway Patrol investigator at the scene said after speaking with her, didn’t see the oncoming motorcyclist. She slowed down to make a turn onto the driveway of the property at 503 Old Dixie Highway.
As Brennan made the turn, Johns slammed hard into the passenger side of the Kia, literally ripping a deep laceration into the body of the car and throwing the rider from his motorcycle, and over the Kia. Johns suffered multiple fractures in the leg, or the legs, with open wounds that led to severe bleeding that pooled in two places near the motorcycle. He also suffered lacerations to the face, authorities said. He had initially lost consciousness, but was conscious and aware of his whereabouts as Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedics worked with him. He was evacuated to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. Johns was wearing a helmet.
Brennan had minor injuries, and was at the scene, speaking to authorities. “Nothing criminal at this point, no sign of impairment,” the FHP investigator said. A citation is possible, however, if the driver is found to have cut off the rider’s right-of-way.
Old Dixie Highway South was closed in both directions from the road’s intersection with U.S. 1, at the White Eagle, to just past County Road 335, after 11:15 a.m., for a little over an hour, as crews worked the scene. The Flagler Beach Fire Police provided traffic control.
Biketoberfest began officially on Oct. 18 and runs through Oct. 21, drawing tens of thousands of motorcyclists to Daytona Beach. Riders have increasingly been fanning out to neighboring counties during Biketoberfest and Bike Week. At least two wrecks involving motorcyclists had taken place in Flagler County in the 24 hours before today’s wreck on Old Dixie, but neither were as serious.
Steve Wood says
I am just at a loss how this continues to happen when people know that more bikes are in the area. There is absolutely NO excuse for it.
Ron says
Once again, we have an incident where a car turns left directly into the path of an oncoming motorcycle because they “didn’t see them”.
This is the NUMBER ONE cause of car vs. motorcycle accidents.
C’mon people, please, please, PLEASE watch out for motorcycles!
Jim says
No one purposely hits a motorcycle. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN that’s why it’s called an accident
John says
Yes Jim,accidents do happen.This one however was simply because the car driver was not paying attention.Judging by the damage to the drivers car,that bike was right there.No chance to stop or even lay the bike down.He was right there,if the car driver was paying attention she would have seen that bike was 20-30′ away from her.
Gerry says
I just found about the accident on Christmas day. Cecil is my nephew. I know for a fact that he is a very careful rider. He is messed up pretty bad and will be in a long recovery. Was the driver texting or on the phone. I can’t befieve this has happened to a wonderful person as Cecil. Please keep him and his family in your prayers as he is certainly going to need them. Thank God he’s alive. It’s easy for someone to say “accidents happen” but something causes them.
Dee says
she didn’t see him?????
I can never figure out how you don’t see a motorcyclist…..keep your eyes on the road…..
The Truth says
First, prayers go out to the rider and his family for a quick recovery.
Now, I know it’s easy to point fingers when you read something like this. I would urge everyone to refrain from commenting on the driver of the car until we actually know the details. Accidents happen, we can just pray for those involved and hope for a speedy recovery.
SSDD says
As calls like this do happen and it sucks when it does, I do feel that the way dome bikes ride is also unacceptable. On the way home from Port Orange this afternoon, a group of Harleys, not crotch rockets, came flying up behind us weaving in and out of traffic on I95. There was probably about 15-20 bikes in the group and they were riding without regard for the cars around them cutting people off. So lets not blame the cars all the time when accidents involving motorcycles occur… Remember March when a bike hit a car on A1A at almost 150 MPH…
Get well soon Mr. Johns!!!!
Laura says
Didn’t even hear the helicopter and can’t believe the pilot landed it in the narrows of Old Dixie Highway.
I may have never known about this if it weren’t for my friend stuck in the traffic it created,
and Flagler Live on the scene in my neighborhood,
unflinchingly covering another grim blood-on-asphalt story.
The White Eagle thumping live music as bikes swarm and awareness is out the window?
What’s going on inside that Kia?
I hope that helmet was ON his precious head.
This trauma has more than one victim.
{{* *}}
Laura says
Just saw the helmet update.
Thanks, FlaglerLive.
{{* *}}
Trollololo says
If that would have been Chuck Norris, the car would have been split in half.
The Doctor says
Everyone needs to watch OUT for everyone. Today I observed a biker screeming past traffic on a blind curve on a double yellow line. If there had been a vehicle coming the other way we would have had another horrific accident.
SAFE driving is everyones job. All drivers need to watch out for bikers, other cars, cyclists, walkers etc. Drive the speed limit, drive with headlights on when required.
It is everyone’s job to drive safe.
Squeaky says
First I need to say, Steven I am so glad that your son is ok, thank god. Second, (watch for bikers) is getting so old, what about Bikers watching for us to, they think they own the road and can do what they want, and if they didn’t want to get hurt then WEAR YOUR DAN HELMET, heck we have to wear our seatbelts, they should be doing the same.
John says
Squeaky,I’m no Dr. or even an accident scene investigator.Just an old man who gets by on common sense.Don’t think a helmet would have helped this victim as most of his serious injuries happened to his legs.As a biker,I can assure you Mr Johns was watching out.Judging by the damage to the drivers car,he was right there with absolutely no time to react.My guess is the driver took her eyes off the road to negotiate those recycle bins or perhaps to open that gate with an opener if it were so equipped.Again,he never had time to react and he was “watching out for you”.
Rhonda Wright says
Cecil was wearing a helmet!!!!
Glad I left Palm Coast says
Lets not forget about the alcohol consumption, these biker’s need to realize that they are not the only ones on the road. The ones racing around and passing traffic will only become sad statistics.
John says
I doubt very much alcohol was a factor in this accident at 11 AM.If so the bike rider will be cited.I’m guessing the car driver simply wasn’t paying attention.
JJ says
If you live on old Dixie Highway you probably know their motorcycles on the road. Get off the phone and pay attention to what you’re doing.
Heather Person says
is there any way to find out how the motorcyclist is doing?
Rhonda Wright says
Heather, thank you for asking, he has 4 breaks to the legs and lots of facial fractures.
Heather says
Thank you for the update. The driver actually used to be my step sister. A lot of people say I don’t know how you do not see a biker but I have had a few occasions that I did not see a biker until they came around me. It is not like she pulled in front of him on purpose it was called an accident for a reason.
Heather says
Like some other people said accidents happen that is why they are called accidents. Since the accident was at 11am it is very bright out and it is hard to see sometimes.
Plain and simple I hate that road and will never go down it again.
@JJ
I do not think I have ever had a phone signal Old Dixie.
Ben Dover says
I`m very sorry for this mans family and friends , like I just said in the other story about today`s accident , you put this many bikers on the road at one time its inevitable these tragedies will happen , and its all to make money for the hotel owners , the store owners , the bar owners , people who are already doing pretty good in life , too bad they didn t invite 200.000 business owners here twice a year to party and give people who are struggling, jobs, if these bikers didn t spend a penny here and all these deaths and accidents occurred like they do , they would ban the events , but as long as people with money are making more money its acceptable, pretty messed up.
John says
Ben,you’re as off base here as you were in your other comment.You really should think before you write.Which hotel,store and bar owners are doing “pretty good in life”?I know a few and they are just getting by,like most of us.As far as “inviting 200,000 business owners here”,they are more then welcome just like anybody else.I’d love to have them visit because,as a property owner I realize how much I benefit from them or any of our visitors.I don’t own a bar,hotel or any other business,just a working man who understands the business world and a man who understands what our visitors mean to this area.
Clint says
I’ll take the motorcycles over the spandex people and their bicycles any day of the year. The roads have become a TOTAL FREE for ALL. There is NEVER any cops pulling people over for..driving to fast, failure to yield right of way, 3 or 4 abreast in bicycle lane, tailgating, road rage, throwing cigarettes out of their windows or trash, disrespect for ANY and ALL stops signs, yield signs, slow down signs. Next vehicle I buy will be a TANK !
John says
I’ve got a “drunk thumper”.Works like a charm,people stay out of my way!
JL says
Personally, I would like to know what the woman’s story is before passing blame. I see the house she pulled into is right by an intersection of another street. Could he have come barrelling around the corner fast? Who knows. But it’s not right to pass blame on either until the whole story comes out. Yes, drivers need to watch out for bikers, but bikers need to watch out too. There are too many bikers giving them all a bad rap because they weave in and out of traffic, drive way too fast, on the shoulder, or where ever they want because they can. I know not all drive that way, but too many do. We should all be watching out for everything. Period. That’s our duty when we get behind the wheel, whether it’s 4 wheels or two.
I hope the biker has a full recovery and everyone’s ok. God Bless!
Jess says
“No speed was involved’
“Nothing criminal at this point, no sign of impairment,”
They also say the car may have cut off the biker’s right of way.
Most accidents that happen involving motorcycles are not the fault of the bikers. Of course this woman didn’t MEAN to cause it, and she didn’t PLAN on causing it, but she caused it and is not denying the fact.
Shit like this happens all the time, and blaming the victims isn’t helpful in the least.
People just don’t pay attention. The woman in question has probably never been on a motorcycle, and doesn’t know well enough to watch for them, and has never been able to experience the reaction time the bikes have. I believe that has a lot to do with it.
InkslingerJax says
Cecil is my Brother in Law. He HAD NOT been drinking, he was on his way to eat breakfast with his wife. According to witnesses that were virtually several vehicles behind him and going to the same place, he had no time to react. He has twenty years experience riding, I’ve been riding for forty, have gone through 3 motorcycle safety courses. From the photos and witnesses this was unavoidable to anyone riding with no experience or 60 years and every safety course imagineable. GRANTED there are idiots riding Harleys, but thers just as many on crotch rockets, bicycles and in cars. Cecil’s pretty F’d up but he’ll recover and ride again. To those of you here who have offered your wishes thank you from our family. To those who don’t ride and have put your 2 cents in, or have made disparing remarks about us, STFU.
Geezer says
Thank you for adding your eloquent comments, which add to the stereotyping of bikers.
I have created a small glossary for readers perusing your comment–it follows:
F’d up: injured, hurt, bruised, shaken, battered, broken. Can also mean drunk or high.
STFU: please be quiet, refrain from speaking, close your mouth, be silent, and etc.
May Cecil make a rapid recovery, and may everyone drive safely, with consideration for others.
The doctor: That’s a good prescription for safety, Doctor.
Edward says
Cecil was the brother of a very good family friend I hope he’s ok be strong and pull through this and before a driver in a car makes a turn look around and make sure the oath is clear!!
InkslingerJax says
Cecil is my Brother in law, he has worked for the same company for twenty five years, has been riding for about 20 years, my wife (his sister) has worked for the same company for 32 years. I am a disabled Vietnam Veteran (US NAVY retired) with forty years of riding experience. He is very disciplined about wearing his helmet and not riding while under the influence, including not riding with those who may not be under the legal limit (.08 BAC). He is a Navy Veteran and is a father, married to a Navy radiologic technician. There are no skid marks at the accident scene, which to the uneducated means Cecil had no time to react to the scene unfolding in front of him. As a result of the ensuing crash he suffered compound fractures, a shattered patella, dislocated foot, shattered facial bones and a 3 pint blood loss. Placing blame is not my job, FHP will handle that. Cecil will be fine, he faces a long recovery and therapy.
heather person says
It is nice to hear that he will eventually be okay. Being retired military we know he is a strong person. Thank you again for an update.
Cheryl Scott says
He stays here at Holiday Travel Park during Bike Events. He has a broken femur and some face lacerations, was being operated on this morning to fix his leg and face and expected to make a full recovery in time. Thanks for thinking about him.