Woman Falls Off Motorcycle and is Dragged by Pickup Truck

Early this morning a woman was killed when she fell off a motorcycle, was ran over, and dragged by a pickup truck. Her identity is unknown at this time, and the driver of the truck failed to stop after hitting her and dragging her approximately seventy-five feet.

The accident occurred in the southbound lane of Krome Avenue in SW Miami-Dade, Florida. Reports have suggested that the driver of the truck may not have known what they hit, other reports state that the driver fled the scene.

It is hard to believe that a driver, if paying attention, would not be able to distinguish a human being from debris on the road. However, traffic in Florida is usually moving fast and often congested, so perhaps under those circumstances a driver could hit and drag something and be totally unaware of what it was. Although, it makes one curious whether or not dragging a body would cause a decrease in the speed of a vehicle.

In any case, anyone who witnessed the incident and has information that could be helpful to the police should report it immediately. If, in fact, the driver of the pickup truck ran over and dragged the woman who fell off the motorcycle and fled the scene intentionally information could assist in tracking down the driver.

While driving hitting an object that enters one's driving path may be unavoidable, and that may not be a crime in and of itself, but knowingly fleeing the scene of an accident is a different story.

Too many people ride motorcycles on Florida's roads and highways without any headgear or eye protection which may be because effective July 1, 2000, Florida eliminated the legal requirement that all motorcycle riders wear helmets. State law now requires helmet use only by riders under the age of 21, or older riders who do not carry at least $10,000 of medical insurance.

Regardless, why would anyone choose not to wear a helmet or eye protection while riding on a motorcycle. If you have ever driven or rode as a passenger on a motorcycle you probably are aware of how the wind alone can affect your vision, especially at higher speeds. Your eyes sting and tear, and a small bug hitting you in the face can feel pretty intense. A bug that hits you directly in the eye will cause you to react which could cause the driver to lose control of the motorcycle.

"Surveys and crash reports indicated that helmet use dropped substantially following the law change...fatalities increased by 81 percent comparing 2001-2003 to 1997-1999, compared to +48 percent nationally."¹

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws provides information on key facts, legislative status, information sources, and more.

In the report by Carolyn Ryan and Brian Hamacher, NBCMiami - Woman killed in hit & run in Miami, it does not say whether or not the woman was wearing a helmet. The mention of helmet laws is to encourage people to wear them willingly.

Sources:
¹Evaluation of the Repeal of the All-Rider Motorcycle Helmet Law in Florida

Florida Statue - 316.211 Equipment for motorcycle and moped

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws