A motorcycle rider died after he was hit by a vehicle Friday night along a dark stretch of roadway in rural northeast Marion County.
Here’s what we know:
Where was the crash? Along County Road 315, near Northeast 225th Place, in Fort McCoy.
Which agency is investigating? Florida Highway Patrol.
What happened? Troopers said a 36-year-old Fort McCoy man was riding a miniature motorcycle southbound on CR 315. In a press release, the FHP said the bike was being operated “without any lighting equipment.”
An older model Chevy pickup truck, driven by a 18-year-old man from Fort McCoy, was behind the bike.
Authorities said the front of the truck hit the back of the bike, sending the bike and its rider onto the grassy shoulder and into a ditch. The rider was transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Troopers said the pickup truck driver called 911 after the crash.
Authorities said the truck driver told them he had left work and was on his way home. It’s unknown where the motorcycle rider was going.