Two motorcyclists die in Marion County crashes

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A 36-year-old Ocala man died March 22 after an SUV turned and entered the path of the motorcycle he was riding in southeast Marion County, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred at Southeast 95th Street Road and Southeast 170th Avenue Road around 2:15 p.m. The victim was riding a motorcycle west on Southeast 95th Street Road as an SUV driven by a 68-year-old Leesburg, man with an 87-year-old woman as a passenger, traveled east on the same roadway, the press release stated. 

The SUV made a left turn to travel north on Southeast 170th Avenue Road, entering the path of the motorcycle. This resulted in the motorcycle colliding with the right side of the SUV, the press release stated.

The victim was not wearing a helmet. The SUV driver and passenger both wore seat belts and were not injured, the press release indicated.

On March 21, a 22-year-old Lake County woman died as the result of a multi vehicle crash on Interstate 75 in northwest Marion County, FHP reported. The crash occurred around 9:23 p.m. near the 349 mile marker, which is near the State Road 200 intersection.

The FHP press release stated that the victim was riding a motorcycle southbound in the outside lane followed by a sedan driven by a 35-year-old Ocala woman when  the sedan rear ended the motorcycle, throwing the rider from the motorcycle and into the path of an SUV that was traveling in the center lane, driven by a 68-year-old Tampa woman .

The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital. where she succumbed to her injuries, the press release stated. No other injuries were reported.

The press release states that the victim, from Deer Island, was wearing a helmet and that the sedan and SUV drivers were wearing seat belts. 

The FHP Crash Dashboard at flhsmv.gov states that preliminary data from Jan.1 to March 14 indicates there have been 13 traffic fatalities in Marion County.