WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Friends and family in Wesley Chapel are rallying to support the loved ones of a local motorcyclist killed in a collision on State Road 56 just days before Christmas.
Michael Acord, 53, died Saturday afternoon, Dec. 20, following a crash near Lajuana Boulevard. Known widely in the motorcycle community, Acord is being remembered this week not just as an enthusiast, but as the “backbone” of his family.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 4:14 p.m. Troopers reported that an 80-year-old man from San Antonio was driving a Nissan Rogue eastbound on SR-56 when he attempted to make a U-turn. As the SUV turned, it crossed directly into the path of Acord, who was riding his Harley Davidson westbound…