Drink Responsibly! Drunk Driver Causes Fatal Crash In North Port Tuesday Night.
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
We hear drunk driving victims statistics in the news so often many have become calloused and jaded. It's so often somewhere else, some other community that bears the pain.Yesterday evening our community suffered a tragic accident after a drunk driver on US 41 in North Port collided with a motorcycle with a rider and passenger.
The crash happened as 33-year-old Zachary Richards from North Port was speeding southward on US 41 in a Ford Transit Van Tuesday night with his headlights turned off, in the left lane approaching the intersection with Palm Harbor Drive.
As the van approached Palm Harbor from the north, a 67-year-old motorcyclist from North Port was riding a Harley Davidson Electra-Glide motorcycle with a 62-year-old female passenger on US 41 approaching the intersection with Palm Harbor Drive from the south, at a lawful speed. Followed behind the motorcycle was a Lexus RX Sport utility vehicle driven by a 77-year-old man from South Barrington Illinois, with a 74-year-old passenger.
At 10:24:00 PM, the motorcyclist attempted to make a left turn from US 41 onto Palm Harbor Drive, however, because Richards was driving with the headlights turned off the motorcyclist failed to see the oncoming van, and drove directly into the path of the large vehicle.
The front of the Ford Transit van crashed into the Harley Davidson Electra-Glide motorcycle and both the driver and passenger of the motorcycle were thrown from the vehicle.
After the initial collision, the front of the Lexus RX SUV crashed into the Harley Davidson.
The driver of the Harley Davidson motorcycle was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash, and the passenger was critically injured and taken to a local hospital.
Florida Highway Patrol arrested Zachary Richards, the driver of the van, and charged him with DUI Manslaughter, DUI Serious Bodily Injury, and DUI Property Damage. Richards is being held at the Sarasota County jail.
The driver of the Lexus RX SUV was unharmed in the crash.
Drunk driving is not something that only affects other people in other towns, yesterday a person made a choice to drive after being intoxicated and now an innocent man has died, his passenger is facing critical injuries and the driver is now in the county jail.
We urge all of you to help your friends and family make the right decision and get a designated driver before consuming alcohol. One careless action has ruined three people's lives and could have easily been avoided.
If you are looking for ways to help prevent drunk driving visit MADD.ORG and support Mothers Against Drunk Driving helping to stop needless accidents.
More Resources: Alcohol Rehab Help Guide