Four motorcyclists hurt in crash on Bayside Bridge - Bay News 9

Four motorcyclists hurt in crash on Bayside Bridge

Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Bayside Bridge was shut down for several hours while rescue crews airlifted one of the victims to a hospital.

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Four men were seriously hurt in an overnight motorcycle crash on the Bayside Bridge.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, just before 11 p.m. Saturday, four motorcycles were traveling together on the south side of the Bayside Bridge when Michael J. Parasi, 39, hit the brakes, setting off a chain reaction of crashes behind him.

Investigators say the motorcycle driven by 40-year-old Allen R. Vanett rear-ended Parasi. Then a third motorcycle, driven by 26-year-old Armondo Bonafe, crashed into the first two motorcycles. Finally, the motorcycle driven by 25-year-old Felix Borges crashed into Bonafe's motorcycle.

All four drivers, and a passenger, 19-year-old Devon Spencer, who was riding with Parasi, were thrown from their motorcycles and went skidding down the road several hundred feet.

Vanett, Parasi, Spencer and Bonafe all sustained serious injuries. One of the victims was flown to the hospital with serious injuries, although officials did not say who that was.
Borges sustained only minor injuries.

Investigators said they do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. They also said that all of the men were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

 

several hundred feet? they must have been travelling 200mph.
so will anyone say that speed was definitely a factor here?

 

Five people were injured when four motorcycles traveling at high speed across the Bayside Bridge got into a chain-reaction crash late Saturday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol said three of the motorcycle drivers and one passenger received serious injuries when they we all thrown from the motorcycles. One motorcycle driver received minor injuries.

All were wearing helmets and the FHP said alcohol was not a factor.

According to the report, at about 10:55 p.m., the four motorcycles were heading south on the bridge at high speed when Michael Parasi, 39, of Odessa, started slowing.

Allen Vanett, 40, could not stop in time and hit the back of Parasi's 2008 Suzuki, throwing Parasi along with passenger Devon Spencer, 19, of New Port Richey to the pavement.

Vanett of New Port Richey was also thrown from his 2008 Yamaha.

Amondo Bonafe, 26, also couldn't stop and ran into one of the two crashing motorcycles, followed by Felix Borges, 25, who ran into the 2006 Suzuki driven by Bonafe, the FHP said. Borges was riding a 2006 Kawaski.

Bonafe of Largo received serious injuries while Borges of St. Petersburg received what the FHP called minor injuries.

The wreck closed the southbound lanes of Bayside Bridge for more than two hours. All lanes were open by 1:15 a.m.

No charges have been filed but the accident remains under investigation.

 

wow, something seems like it's missing from the story, but hope everyone recovers

 

wow, sucks, wish everyone a speedy recovery! hope nobody lost an arm or something...

 

First problem in the story is 2 dudes riding sack to back.

 

I hope they're ok!

Am I reading something wrong or did one of the guys have a 19 year old male on the back of his bike???

 

suzuki and high rate of speed were the problems here. lol

 

they had to have been racing...if not they should have been able to stop...

 

Even worse.

Racing WHILE riding sack to back.