A 37-year-old St. Augustine resident was killed and a his 49-year-old wife was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on U.S. 1 south of Old Kings Road Thursday evening.
The couple had been on a leisurely ride from St. Augustine. The Florida Highway Patrol attributed the cause of the crash to a deer crossing the path of the motorcyclists as they were traveling south. The motorcycle struck the deer, causing the motorcycle to veer right, overturn and eject its two riders. Both had been wearing helmets.
The crash took place just before 7:30 p.m. and was reported to Flagler County’s 911 dispatch center by another traveler, who saw the motorcycle tumble in his rearview mirror and turned around to go back to the scene of the crash. The caller helped the 49-year-old woman look for the 37-year-old man. They found him unresponsive.
Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office responded with several units. An emergency helicopter was placed on standby. One of U.S. 1’s southbound lanes was shut down.
Flagler County Fire Flight launched at 7:37 p.m. from the county airport and landed on U.S. 1 14 minutes later. Both patients were taken to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
Earlier this month Desmond Robinson, 56, died following a motorcycle crash in Palm Coast’s F Section, though an obituary attributed his death to a heart attack not long after the crash, at the hospital. If Robinson’s death is included, Thursday’s crash would bring the number of road fatalities in Flagler County this year to at least 18.
The identities of Thursday’s crash victim are not available. The Florida Highway Patrol earlier this year stopped releasing the names of people involved in crashes. “We no longer proactively release the identities of the parties involved from our scenes in press releases as part of Marsy’s Law,” an FHP spokesperson told FlaglerLive in July. The constitutional amendment, approved by voters in 2018, is specific to victims of crime only, however, and does not include protection for the identities of individuals killed in road accidents or as a result of crime. Various law enforcement agencies have applied the law in different ways, resulting in a patchwork of applications, and in many cases misapplications, of the law.
If anyone is aware of the crash victims’ names, please let us know by email here.
Jimbo99 says
They are pretty stupid animals, FL deer that is. Over my lifetime of driving, really only had 2 close calls. I-95 sb between Port Orange & NSB middle of the night holiday commute. And the other close call was in Fernandina Beach, FL just after sunrise, at dawn. They bolt out onto the road, spooked they may double back and try to cross the road again. They often graze on the sides & middle of the highways
E. Hoffa says
This time of the year, deer crossing highway is very common! Be Safe! Deer whistles on your vehicle may help!
C'mon man! says
Just develop all of US1. Pack it full of businesses like in St. Augustine and Daytona. This will drive the deer away, and bring more dollars into the county. It’s inevitable and going to happen anyway.