Fallen motorcycle skids into oncoming vehicle

An out-of-control motorcycle resulted in a collision on Ponce de Leon Boulevard at Orange Street yesterday evening that should serve as a reminder to Historic City News readers to be especially alert this weekend as bike week draws thousands of visitors to St Augustine.

Soon after 36 year-old Seth Rowe made his way through the congested San Sebastian Bridge reconstruction on US-1 and entered the curve, heading north between Orange Street and West Castillo Drive, he clipped the median — causing him to lose control of the motorcycle he was driving.

Rowe was thrown from the bike, which continued to skid north along the center median of the highway; finally striking a silver Honda Pilot that was in the lane preparing to turn east onto Orange Street.

Paramedics attended Rowe and prepared him for transport to Flagler Hospital; where he was stabilized and flown by air ambulance to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center in serious condition.

Because of the extent of the victim’s injuries, the crash is being investigated by the St Augustine Police Department as a traffic homicide. Cpl. Anthony Cuthbert took physical measurements at the scene to reconstruct the collision. Police Detective Cecilia Aiple collected photographs from skid marks and physical evidence of the collision debris. Cpl. William Protami supervised the scene and two other officers directed both northbound and southbound traffic.

Photo credits: © 2012 Historic City News staff photographer