Dennis Karr Corbin, a 36-year-old resident of Live Oak in north Florida who cherished motorcycles and the outdoors, was killed early Sunday morning as he rode his motorcycle on U.S. 1 in the area of the construction zone near Matanzas Woods Parkway.
It is not precisely clear when the crash took place, because Corbin was riding alone, and a couple driving by just before 2:30 a.m. noticed the crash. The caller to Flagler County’s 911 center reported seeing Corbin partially off the roadway, “not moving.” At first the couple wasn’t sure if it had been a crash. They called in to 911 at 2:27 a.m.
When first responders arrived four minutes later, they reported to dispatchers that Corbin was not breathing. An emergency helicopter was placed on standby as one then another Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy conducted CPR until the arrival of a Palm Coast Fire Department unit and the arrival of Flagler County Fire Rescue.
Dennis Corbin was pronounced dead at 2:37.
Both sides of U.S. 1 were shut down and the Florida Highway Patrol’s investigators reported to the scene. All lanes were reopened by 5:36 a.m.
FHP concluded that Corbin, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was riding his 2013 Harley Davidson north on U.S. 1 just south of Matanzas Woods Parkway when he lost control of his motorcycle after striking a raised concrete median. The investigation is still ongoing. FHP released a report about the crash later Sunday, but it did not release Corbin’s identity until today, more than 48 hours after the crash, though news of his death had already spread among his friends by Monday morning.
“You left way too early,” one wrote on Corbin’s Facebook page. “From the moment I met you, you touched my heart. Not an easy thing to do. Thank you for all the laughs and the smartass comments we had. It’s been 2 mornings without a good morning text.”
Corbin was the father of two teen children and had previously worked at the Florida Department of Transportation–the agency in charge of the ongoing roundabout construction at U.S. 1 and Matanzas Woods, intended to reduce fatalities at one of the county’s most crash-prone intersections. Corbin’s death was the fifth on Flagler roads this year, the second involving a motorcycle.
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David Schaefer says
So sad. I feel that there will be more accidents after that thing is completed….
Mike Martin says
Well, the roundabout has claimed its first victim. I fear it will not be the last. This project was not needed and had closed Manatanzas Woods Parkway long enough.
CB from PC says
This is the most half-assed POS road project I have seen, except for the other one on Route 1 in Korona.
No lighting on a 1 foot high median separating North and South traffic.
Bad enough driving my motorcycle through there during the day.
Screw nighttime.
I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE CURVE IN THE ROAD.
CANNOT IMAGINE MR. CORBIN GOING THROUGH THERE, LIKELY UNFAMILIAR.
Sorry he is deceased because of this factor.
Roundabouts belong in cities, like London, where traffic moves 30-35 mph. Or to whatever KM converts.
Not on a highway where traffic moves 60-80 mph.
Neither project should ever have been approved.
The Stop signs should have been left there.
Aggressive consistent ticketing by LEO would have sufficed.
Btw, lights were installed at a similar 4 lane divided highway where I used to live.
2 years later there were more accidents than when there were stop signs.
Why? The green light signal did not guarantee the other driver was going to stop on the red.
Concerned Citizen says
So sad, but probably not the only death as a result of the roundabouts being built. I’ve already seen many near misses at the one on US1 and Old Dixie Hwy. Building these was an asinine decision and a waste of taxpayer funds when properly working traffic signals with turning arrows that are actually green instead of flashing yellow would have been a more practical option and what the local citizenry wanted.
Flyingbird says
Round abouts are a death trap.my wife and I were almost wiped out on old Dixie when a truck came right into circle without stopping . We will see many deaths from these death traps …Thanks Flagler county , more stupid decisions ….
Born here says
Put a roundabout around the roundabout to make it safer…
Why do these”engineers” keep putting these high curbs on our roadways? If you break down you cannot even get off the roads where they are. Behind matansas woods highschool they have these same idiotic call curbs that is hard to get around with the curves in the lanes. I pull a trailer for work and hit them ocassionally and bend my trailer axles all the time. Book smart people have no clue how to design a parkinglot or street.
America Rinaldi says
I agree. There should be a light there. Go figure. Civil engineers aren’t the brightest lights in the tree. Common sense dictates. I live in the area, they made it more dangerous than it was.
Nicholas Burton says
Way to go Flagler. Roundabouts on a 60+ mph road?? Pretty stupid idea. This is just the beginning.
Name (required) says
Drive north, to South St. Augustine on US1… You’ll see large, WIDE, multiple lane intersections, (up to 7 lanes, NB at SR-312) And it flows pretty well considering traffic needs, no roundabouts. Why? They spent the money on the infrastructure. Only the bozos of Flagler would turn any intersection of US1 into a roundabout. (It used to be Florida’s interstate back in the day, btw. It’s a 60 mph highway,) till you get to The place where rationale just totally leaves the room (Flagler county.) Common sense returns when you enter StJohns county. Ya know, with such a huge influx of new population (5,000 a day) moving to Florida.. this will have to be redone in 3 years or less; yup, for traffic needs. Total lack of insight and knowledge of the region, due to transient charlatans making decisions in an area that they just. don’t. Understand. High speed Highways don’t have roundabouts. Sorry. Any professional in civil engineering can tell you, when traveling at commuter speeds, you need large, bright, well lit, well defined intersections to negate traffic confusion. Otherwise… I get it the zone is a construction zone, for now but still it’s gonna cause problems for lots of drivers even after inception. What a catastrophe. “Raised concrete medians” in the path of the straight high speed road, have no business being there. Totally Asinine.
TR says
Apparently the D.O.T. are run by idiots. They just love to spend money. The simple solution and less expensive way of solving the accident problem at the Matanzas intersection and the Old Dixie Hywy intersection would have been to put in traffic lights. It solved 99% of the accidents at the Seminole woods intersection when they put up that light, so why not do the same at the other intersections? besides round abouts do not work in this Country because of the simple fact we all were not taught how to use them when we originally got our drivers licenses.
Loretta meyer says
ROUNDABOUTS ARE THE DUMMIST THING
Seanpeckham says
Watch an 18 wheeler go through the roundabout it can’t make it if there is a car next to it . Yes sad part is there will be more deaths due to terrible oversight and no planning .
Richard says
Yes it is VERY sad indeed! Plus your statement is true if people think they navigate a roundabout doing 60-100 mph!
There will be far less accidents if people would utilize just a small portion of their brains along with even a fraction of common sense when navigating a roundabout. It is a proven fact that they reduce accidents and fatalities. Do the research and find out for yourself if you don’t believe me.
Charles "Bub" Robson says
Please don’t blame Flagler County for the “Killer Roundabouts” the blame is squarely on the backs of DOT. When DOT first proposed the roundabouts many professionals including Law Enforcement who stated that the roundabouts would raise the kill rate on our highway. The county and many other professionals begged DOT not to do this and was met with engineers who stated they knew better. RIP victims now and to come.
TR says
People please keep in mind that this was not Flagler County’s decision for the roundabouts. It was all the D.O.T (Department of Transportation) Flagler County had no say in the matter, US-1 is controlled by the state and not the county. Please get your facts staright.
I still think it’s a dumb idea and we will loose a lot more drivers. I wonder how long it will be before someone who looses a loved one sues the state for their stupid idea about putting roundabouts in on a 60 mph roadway? I guess they figure that because they want the speed limit going through a roundabout to be 25 mph that that will save lives. Yea right, not.
Name (required) says
Correction: 5,000 per WEEK are moving to Florida: Per verifiable sources; in fairness.
Doug says
Yep, those highly skilled, know-it-all engineers employed by the great State of Florida have shown us again that common sense wasn’t applied. Oh wait, common sense? What’s that? They are no different than our elected officials, inept morons.
CB from PC says
Will somebody name the incumbent politicians who approved these Roundabout wastes of money?
This alone is reason to vote them out in November.
FlaglerLive says
This was not a political decision but an administrative decision by the Department of Transportation.
Name (required) says
Fair enough. However, it was county officials that fired off the alarm for action, and I think most folks are just typically used to blaming Flagler “county” for all things asinine. Because there’s frequent news of bad decisions from poor leadership, it’s a natural response. It’s merely assumed that there was a local lack of vigilance to prevent the decision of the DOT from coming to fruition. But doesn’t matter who’s to blame, it’s stupid and now a man has died. God Rest his soul.
T says
Sad who puts a roundabout in the middle of a highway palm coast that’s who hope there dumb idea don’t gets people hurt or killed more and it’s not the first accident there sense being built
Tim says
You got former dot employee, very few of their engineers actually have degrees, most are inside buddy system appointees.
A.J. says
Never liked the idea of a round-about on a major road. Why not a traffic ligft. Just saying.