Ilija Jovanovich, 59, of Port Charlotte died on Thursday afternoon after a car pulled into the path of his motorcycle.
Officials from Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) say the accident happened shortly after 3 PM on Thursday, January 30. Their report says a 1998 Mercury Sable was facing south on Biscayne Drive, stopped at the intersection of SR-776. Ilija Jovanovich was riding his motorcycle westbound on SR-776 in the inside lane, approaching the intersection of Biscayne Drive. The Mercury Sable, driven by Shanni Cardoso, 31, of Port Charlotte, moved into the intersection of SR-776, directly in front of the motorcycle, according to FHP. This caused the motorcycle to hit the left front end of the car.
Jovanovich was thrown from the motorcycle and landed in the paved median. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Florida has the highest rate of motorcycle rider deaths in the country. In 2016 alone, 586 people in the state died while riding on motorcycles. These accidents can be caused by a wide variety of factors, from run-ins with wildlife to drunk or careless driving. Many drivers of cars and other large vehicles that hit motorcyclists say they simply didn’t see the biker. All drivers are urged to “look twice, save a life.”