David M. Shute, a 47-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s W Section is in critical condition at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach after a Sunday evening motorcycle crash on Palm Coast Parkway.
There was no collision with another vehicle, and it is still not exactly clear what led Shute to “lay down” his motorcycle, as authorities are describing it, near the intersection of Old Kings Road with Palm Coast Parkway.
The crash took place in mid-evening, as dozens of local authorities, including the Florida Highway Patrol, were busy with the emergency plane landing on the Flagler Beach bridge, so investigative resources were limited at the motorcycle crash. It’s being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol.
What is clear, according to an investigator at the scene, is that Shute had been riding south on Old Kings Road. He had stopped at a red light, according to a witness who was behind him, then pulled out again, making a right on red, which is legal there. But some change in traffic patterns may have caused him to jerk his motorcycle down as he was riding west, an investigator said–he may have seen a vehicle in the middle lane make a right into his lane.
He laid his motorcycle down on its left side and caused it to slide west along Palm Coast Parkway for a short distance, as several scrape marks on the pavement indicate. He fell off the bike as it slid. The bike stopped in the far-right lane, blocking it. Shute himself rolled a bit further than the bike. Shute had been riding a 2015 Harley Davidson.
There are conflicting reports about his condition immediately after the crash. One report was that he was conscious and screaming in pain, another that he was unconscious. Authorities immediately listed his condition as critical. An emergency helicopter landed on Palm Coast Parkway and flew him to Halifax.
Dispatch notes from Flagler County’s 911 center indicate that Shute was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, that he was conscious but having trouble breathing, and was found face down. Seven minutes after the crash was reported, he lost consciousness, and Trauma One, the emergency helicopter, was called in. The helicopter landed at 9:20 p.m. (The crash was reported at 8:52 p.m.)
Investigators had not been able to interview Shute by Tuesday.
Aside from the Florida Highway Patrol, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department responded, and the Palm Coast Fire Police regulated traffic., which was not severely impeded by the crash. Traffic had to be stopped in both directions of the parkway momentarily, to allow the helicopter to land. The crash took place at 8:50 p.m. on Aug. 20.
nomorepitbulls says
I wish him a speedy pain free recovery.
Optimist Prime says
Probably another fine New York driver, changing lanes without a signal. Nothing new. Just somebody else’s safety at stake. Who cares, right? Hope he can pull through from his injuries and get his life back. Something to consider drivers…. you assume responsibility when you drive. You can kill someone very easily. BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER HUMANS. This town is the worst. Ever.
Worried Grammy says
Mr Optimist Prime has assumed that NY drivers are to blame for all these people in Flagler County that are just plain bad drivers..most of them are from somewhere else, not just NY…and most of the young people that grew up here in the county are even worse. Motor cycles are not the problem, the people who ride them understand and take the risk of having no protection around them, whether they are at fault or not. I wish this person a speedy recovery.
Wishful Thinking says
Hope prayers help… 47 so young….
Just me says
Don’t worry about jumping to conclusions. Seems you have it all figured out. Maybe you should be a detective? I hear the sheriffs office is hiring.
Anonymous says
the shutdown on pc pkwy wasn’t momentary-it was nearly a 20-25 minutes-im not against using life flight but a parking lot would have been a better place to put the helicopter…palm coast is the only city that does this all the time—ive watched other cities use life flight and land it out of the way plenty of times
prayers for a speedy recovery
Concerned Citizen says
Hope he has a speedy recovery.
@ Optimist Prime
Everyone wants to blame the car drivers during a Bike accident. As a commercial vehicle driver who spends a lot of time on the road I will tell you that Bikers are some of the worst offenders.
How many times a week I see a Biker violate a right away or throttle thru a red light knowing they didn’t have it. Bikers are just as notorious for not signaling and reckless lane change.. And my personal favorite. How they roll right up on your bumper at a stop.
Some of my best friends ride and I see them act stupidly. I’m not sure if it’s the ego of I’m on a Bike or the countless sue happy Law groups out there promoting the I dare you to hit me mentality. Regardless I dread Bike Week and Biketoberfest every year.
Operating a motor vehicle 4 wheel or 2 carries an awesome responsibility. And everyone needs to exercise a little more accountability behind the wheel.
If we stopped driving distracted/reckless and exercised a little more common courtesy the roads might be safer regardless of where your license plate says you are.
Kathy A says
Sending prayers for recovery for this young man.Watch over him, medical staff.
Pat Patterson says
So glad that he was life flighted to Halifax. Too dang bad that some drivers had to wait for the chopper to land, collect victim, and take off to try to save his life. Twenty-five minutes out of their day may just be for a good cause. Bet they fit into the horrible, impatient, speeding driver category that causes crashes like this. Hope the day never comes when they are the one being scraped off the road and loaded into the helicopter. Just take them on over to Florida Hospital-Flagler.
Rick Kang says
Prayers for a brother Biker! 81 Forever!
Brian says
@Anonymous – There is a reason why they don’t always use a parking lot to land the FireFlight helicopter when transporting trauma patients. That reason is simple: the amount of time it would take to load the patient into an ambulance, transport them to the nearest parking lot (without any obstructions of power lines or something else impeding the hell’s ability to land), unload the patient, and then load him onto the helicopter…would take entirely too long and could cost the patient his/her life. The Flight Nurses onboard FireFlight can do much more than the FireMedics in the ambulance. Plus, it is a simple action of placing the patient on a backboard, then onto a stretcher, and then into the helicopter where the Flight Nurses can begin working on the patient immediately to save his life. My apologies for the inconveniences you suffer as a result of someone being near death from a tragic vehicle crash. In the future, maybe you should utilize an old fashioned map to find alternative routes should someone else suffer traumatic injuries and inconvenience your drive down the Parkway.
tulip says
If there had been a traffic camera there, it might have shown exactly how it happened. More and more accidents since cameras were taken down.
Lilly says
I too wish him a speedy recovery! Why don’t we have a trauma care center at our hospital? Or would it effect their bottom line profit for Florida Hospital? Wouldn’t a person needing immediate medical care after an accident have a better chance if they had the opportunity to go to a hospital nearby?
Jenn says
Why are you assuming there was a New York driver involved? And what a Pity that you had to sit in traffic for 20 to 25 minutes while this man who needed severe medical help had to be airlifted to a hospital. You people all need to stop jumping to conclusions. How about saying a prayer for the man and his family stop being so negative.
can'tfoolme says
@ Brian – as the mother of a 35 year old biker who wasn’t air lifted in time to save his life, I appreciate your answer.
Concerned Citizen says
Fire Flight doesn’t always use a parking lot as they are unpredictable. Too many variables.
The city has designated LZ – Landing Zones which have the required clearance most helos need to get in and out.
So sorry if you had to wait 2 minutes while a life was saved.
out of town person says
My thoughts and Prayers go out to David Shute and his family.I wish David a speedy recovery.I love how you people in Palm Coast blame New York drivers for being careless on the roads …Wake up call I have seen other drivers from other states drive careless and reckless ..Most of you people are from New York yourselves .There are other people that are from other states that drive nuts ,Not just New Yorkers .I used to drive for a living in Palm Coast and outside of Palm Coast and believe me most of them were not from New York..Bottom line here is people from all over the states might want to slow down look at your speedometer when you are driving.That is any state.Stop blaming New Yorkers for everything that goes wrong with the roads .And the worst part of all the people that drive in Palm Coast ,Flagler beach and Bunnell do not know how to put their phones away quit texting and driving and stay off your phones ,put them away and stay off them..That is how most wrecks happen Hello..Again I wish David Shute a successful recovery..And my thoughts and prayers to the family of this gentleman
JJ says
Florida Hospital Flagler is a not for profit Hospital you should check things out before you make coments like that.