More than three months after a high-speed July accident claimed the life of a Cape Coral man on a Fort Meyers street, the driver allegedly responsible for that death turned himself into Cape Coral police.
Fort Meyers police say the 26-year-old Fort Myers man was responsible for a fatal crash that occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on July 14 when his 2006 Volvo rear-ended a motorcycle at approximately 100 miles-per-hour. The 29-year-old motorcyclist was thrown into the car’s windshield and then into the street with life-threatening injuries. He died later at an area hospital.
A blood alcohol content test of the SUV driver at the time had a peak reading of 0.116 — the legal limit in Florida, as everywhere else in the country, is 0.08. The man was not arrested at the time but now faces several charges, including driving under the influence, vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter.
A motorcycle may be a convenient mode of transportation but it presents a constant risk to the safety and life of drivers and passengers. A motorcycle accident can bring both injury and death. The resulting medical costs and lengthy recovery time can profoundly affect a person’s quality of life and often employment.
All motorists have a responsibility to share the road responsibly and safely and avoid accidents at all times. In this case, the car driver could have avoided the accident by not driving while intoxicated. Drugs and alcohol can affect a person’s focus and grasp of events and conditions in the surrounding environment.
In the event that a negligent driver’s action and inaction contributes to an accident, a victim or surviving family members can hold that driver liable for compensation.
Source: NBC News, “Fort Myers man arrested for fatal motorcycle crash,” Nov. 1, 2013
