Motorcycle crash kills man

Police Beat
Motorcycle crash kills man
A Lake Butler man was killed Thursday afternoon in Columbia County when he drove his
motorcycle into a car that had stopped in front of him to make a turn, the Florida Highway Patrol
reported. Dead is Marshall E. Palmer, 64, according to an FHP media release.
The accident occurred about 1:50 p.m. on U.S. 441 at County Road 349.
According to FHP, Palmer was driving his 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle south on U.S. 441
behind a 1997 Nissan Sentra driven by Andre C. Copeland, 27, of Lake City.
Copeland was stopped in the southbound lane waiting to turn left into North Florida Livestock,
FHP reported. Palmer attempted to slow down to avoid a rear-end collision but instead went down onto his right side, FHP said. Palmer, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and hit the trunk of Copeland's car. The motorcycle slid underneath the car.
Palmer was taken to Shands at the University of Florida while Copeland
was not injured, FHP said.
-Cindy Swirko
Gainesville Sun
Alachua County
May 27, 2011