Michael Brick, a 35-year-old Palm Coast business owner, was killed Friday evening when a car crashed into his motorcycle at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Whiteview Parkway. He is the fourth motorcyclist to die on Flagler County roads so far this year.
The crash was reported to Flagler County’s 911 dispatch center at 8:22 p.m., according to dispatch notes and the Florida Highway Patrol, when a caller reported that a white Toyota had struck a motorcycle. The caller almost immediately reported that the motorcyclist was not breathing.
According to FHP, which did not identify Brick by name, he was traveling north on U.S. 1 and approaching Whiteview Parkway in the inside lane. A 38-year-old Palm Coast man was driving the Toyota south, with a 73-year-old man as his passenger. The man made a left at the intersection to take Whiteview. Brick crashed into the right side of the car and was ejected. He had been wearing a helmet, according to FHP.
Trauma One, UF Health’s emergency helicopter, was briefly put on standby, but ended up not flying to the scene as Brick was pronounced deceased there. The two occupants of the Toyota sustained minor injuries. Brick was the owner and CEO of Clear & Green Outdoor Services, which provided pressure washing and associated services, according to his Facebook page.
The northbound lanes of U.S. 1 were shut down as FHP conducted its investigation. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department responded. The deceased was turned over to the medical examiner for an autopsy.
A similar crash, involving a pick-up truck and an SUV, took the life of a 45-year-old woman at the intersection in June 2022, when the woman, traveling south on U.S. 1, had made a turn onto Whiteview, violating the right-of-way of an oncoming pickup.
The crash resulted in the 11th fatality on Flagler County roads so far this year, out of some 840 crashes, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Land of no turn signals says says
This is what happens when you drive like you just don’t care.Shame it wasn’t a tractor trailer instead of a poor bastard on a bike.
NJ says
A Hard Working man needlessly KILLED because a STUPID driver does NOT understand or obey highway rules when turning left across a travel to enter another highway! The Driver of the Toyota Truck should be sentenced to 10-15 years in jail!! We should start a “Go Fund Me” to support his family!
Been Here A Minute says
I don’t if it’s because we have a zillion different people from different states and driving behaviors crammed into this small town or what??? But, it’s not uncommon to get your right of way violated here on a regular basis like it’s a way of life. The speeding up to a red light or stop sign. Erratically changing lanes up to a red light as well as breaking the law by changing lanes in that sweet spot before you get to the next light. Accelerating while turning and coming out of your lane, and switching to get around the car in front of you. No patience waiting for a car to turn into a parking lot, so these clowns drive off onto the shoulder in an aggressive fashion in order to do so. Tailgating the car in front of you while forgetting they can only go as fast as the car in front of them.
I swear it’s almost like playing bumper cars with ADHD crackheads in this town getting from one place to another.
PeachesMcGee says
The flashing yellow arrow on that intersection needs to be changed to a regular turn signal.
Shark says
Maybe if the Flagler Count Sheriffs would do some traffic enforcement the death toll would be lower. Get them off of I95 and have them patrol Palm Coast.
flaglerdave says
In Loving Respect and Prayers to family and friends of the fallen rider. Totally preventable accident , a few more seconds of patience caused an everlasting effect to so many, may your actions wake you up at night, every night.
Higher Ground to to my fellow rider ,God Bless gone too soon
Look Twice and Save a Life
dc
TR says
@Land of no turn signals, So it’s the driver of the white Toyota who is at fault for this guys death and you call him a bastard? Give me a break.
Skibum says
Shark, U.S. 1, like I-95, is the primary responsibility of the FHP for traffic enforcement. The sheriff’s traffic enforcement unit should not have to devote so much time and resources to state highways. They should be targeting local county roads and the streets within Palm Coast and other communities.
FHP, out of all 50 states, has the FEWEST highway patrol officers out on our state’s highways in the entire nation! There is no excuse for a state which is at the top of rankings for tourists from around the nation and around the world, to have so few troopers out on our highways patrolling and enforcing traffic laws to keep everyone safe… NO EXCUSE. The republican controlled state legislature consistently refuses to allocate the necessary funding to FHP to address that critical agency’s shortcomings. Those officers are paid less that many other agencies, and they just cannot keep up, even when there are very serious fatal accidents they often have to rely on sheriff’s deputies or local police departments to help out.
There are so many things wrong here in Florida, but my very top concern, despite all of the empty talk out of Tallahassee, is an absolute dereliction of duty and concern for the safety of the traveling public by state “leaders”. That is exactly why FL has been at the top or very near the top of the list for 1) the most traffic accidents in the nation as well as 2) the highest auto insurance rates of any other state.
Both of those deficiencies COULD be addressed by more adequate funding by the governor and the state legislature, but the incompetence and misappropriation of taxpayer money for ridiculous “priorities” that DO NOT make this state a safe place to live or travel is outrageous… but it will never to corrected if people don’t scream and demand something be done to fix the daily carnage on our state’s roadways. Starting with many more troopers needing to be hired and more resources allocated to traffic enforcement, rather than all of the lip service and do nothing good nonsense like legislating book banning and gender pronouns.
Tovah Janovsky says
I am becoming increasingly nervous about driving in Flagler County. A few weeks ago a friend and I witnessed a terrible crash at Whiteview and Belle Terre. A driver ran the red light on Belle Terre and plowed into a white car sending him careening along the shoulder for a few hundred feet. I drive in this area often and found myself looking for alternate roads to get me home. Palm Coast does not have the classical grids so was not successful. Will just have to be extremely careful I suppose and pray a lot. Thinking of going to that intersection and praying over it.
Haardcase says
When I was with FHP (1984-2008) I spent my last 10 years in Flagler County.
Day after day I was the ONLY Trooper in the county, and on midnight shift I covered Flagler and Putnam both, ALONE.
One Trooper can’t be everywhere.
Land of no turn signals says says
@TR Just replacing poor guy for bastard.Lighten up it was just a old saying everybody else got it but you.Lighten up a little.I ride my motorcycle every day if you did you would understand.
Jay Tomm says
Your welcome to leave if it’s SO BAD……
RIP to the rider. And yes the car driver should have at least a vehicle manslaughter charge.