A motorcyclist died in a crash Tuesday after pulling out of a parking lot into the path of a minivan, the Polk County Sheriff's Office stated.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, David Edward Jones, 40, of Canal Street in Lakeland, FL was killed, Polk County Sheriff's Officials stated.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the crash occurred around 7 p.m. at Fairway Avenue and U.S. 92 in Lakeland, FL.
Floyd Dairity Jr., 59, of Eloise in Lakeland, FL, was driving west on U.S. 92, in Lakeland, FL in a 2000 Plymouth minivan when Jones pulled his 1995 Yamaha motorcycle out of a parking lot on Fairway Avenue, in Lakeland, FL, into Dairity's path.
Jones' motorcycle collided with the right front side of the van.
Three members of Dairity's family, including two adults and a child, were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, in Lakeland, FL with minor injuries.
Their names were not available late Tuesday night, the Polk County Sheriff's Office stated.
The crash forced temporary lane closures, with the westbound lane of U.S. 92 between Lake Parker and Fairway Avenue, in Lakeland, FL, and remaining closed late Tuesday while Polk County deputies continued to investigate the crash.
In 2008, 532 people were killed and a total of 8,519 drivers and 883 passengers were injured in motorcycle crashes in Florida, according to a summary of statistics compiled by that state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Of those, 502 were motorcycle drivers, the remaining 30 were passengers. Motorcycle fatalities made up nearly 18 percent of total traffic fatalities during 2008.
Florida Motorcycle Accident Report
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Fatalities 388 441 521 517 502
Passengers Fatalities n/a n/a 29 33 30
Injuries 6,558 7,282 7,934 8,186 8,519
Passengers Injuries n/a n/a 835 769 883
Motorcycle Accidents 7,367 8,147 8,990 9,205 9,618
The total number of motorcycle crashes in 2008 was 9,618, up from 9,205 in 2007. This figure has risen at a fairly consistent rate since 1999, the first year used for comparison in the report. Injuries to motorcycle drivers have also risen at a nearly consistent rate. There were 8,186 in 2007. Deaths of motorcycle drivers dipped down from 517 in 2007 and 521 in 2006. Between 1999 and 2005, motorcycle driver deaths rose steadily each year.
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