3 injured in crash on Interstate 275

One motorcyclist crashed Tuesday on Interstate 275 after turning around to watch another motorcyclist who had rammed the back of a car, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The result? Minor injuries for all drivers - and a 45-minute shutdown of all
southbound lanes near the Pasco-Hillsborough county line. The two motorcyclists
were driving south on I-275 at a high speed when they tried to pass a Ford Focus, troopers said. The motorcycle driven by Adam J. Clark, 22, of Port Richey hit the back of the Ford, which lost control and hit a concrete wall. The second motorcyclist, Benjamin C.Wigen, 21, of Lutz, turned back to look at the crash- and overturned.
Clark, Wigen and the car's driver, Christopher Tichanuk, 28, of Wesley Chapel were
taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries.
St Petersburg Times
Pinellas County

Woman indicted in biker's death

Woman indicted in biker's death
By TONY HOLT
Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE >> Grand jurors on Tuesday indicted a 21-year-old Spring Hill woman on murder and aggravated fleeing charges. Brittany Elizabeth Miles was arrested following a
May 10 accident near County Line Road that killed a motorcyclist. Moments prior to the
accident, Miles escaped arrest along U.S. 19 in Hudson after a Pasco County sheriffs deputy
had her in custody under suspicion of DUI, authorities said. Before her pickup could be towed from the scene, Miles escaped from the back of a sheriffs cruiser, got into her vehicle and fled north along the highway while dragging the deputy a couple hundred feet, according to the Pasco
County Sheriffs Office. During her escape - and while deputies were in pursuit - she plowed
into 67-year-old Henry F. McCain as he was crossing the highway on his motorcycle, deputies said. Miles continued driving a short distance and attempted to elude deputies on foot, but she was arrested near Spring Hill Drive, according to the sheriffs office. The Pasco deputy who was clinging to Miles' vehicle in an attempt to stop her from escaping was hospitalized, but later released, deputies said. Assistant State Attomey Pete Magrino said because Miles killed McCain during the commission of other felonies - including escape and resisting arrest with violence - her most severe charge was upgraded to first-degree murder. Magrino said the State Attorney's Office will not pursue the death penalty against Miles. She faces other charges in Pasco County. Jail records show she was on probation for a drug charge when the accident took place.
The Hernando County case likely will be handled by Assistant State Attorney Bill Catto, said Magrino. Catto, who works out of the Citrus County office, prosecutes the majority of traffic-related homicide cases in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Miles is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Hernando County Circuit Court. She is expected to be represented by an attorney out of Daytona Beach.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

Tampa Tribune
Pasco edition
June 2, 2011

Police: Car runs red light, kills man

VOLUSIA COUNTY
Police: Car runs red light, kills man
A 56-year-old Port Orange motorcyclist was killed Sunday when a car ran a stoplight near
Daytona Beach and drove into his path, the Florida Highway Patrol said. William Lee
Hughes was northbound on Tomoka Farms Road about 3:35p.m. when a 2007 Chevrolet
driven by Lakecia Harris, 31, of DeLand, ran the light as she drove west on International
Speedway Boulevard, troopers said. The BMW motorcycle hit the left front fender of the
Chevrolet, the highway patrol said. Hughes, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the
bike. Harris sustained minorinjuries.

Susan Jacobson
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County
May 31, 2011

Police: Car runs red light, kills man

VOLUSIA COUNTY
Police: Car runs red light, kills man
A 56-year-old Port Orange motorcyclist was killed Sunday when a car ran a stoplight near
Daytona Beach and drove into his path, the Florida Highway Patrol said. William Lee
Hughes was northbound on Tomoka Farms Road about 3:35p.m. when a 2007 Chevrolet
driven by Lakecia Harris, 31, of DeLand, ran the light as she drove west on International
Speedway Boulevard, troopers said. The BMW motorcycle hit the left front fender of the
Chevrolet, the highway patrol said. Hughes, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the
bike. Harris sustained minorinjuries.

Susan Jacobson
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County
May 31, 2011

Biker, driver are killed in crashes

ORANGE COUNTY
Biker, driver are killed in crashes
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the deaths of a motorcyclist and a driver in separate crashes Tuesday night. The first death occurred shortly before 8:30p.m. when a motorcyclist struck the back of a Ford pickup that pulled out in front of it on Colonial Drive near Grayson Drive, in the Union Park area east of Orlando.
The motorcyclist died at Florida Hospital East, said FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes.

The driver was hit by a barbecue that flew off a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction about 10:30 p.m. in the 400 block of DeLeon Avenue, not far from the intersection of John Young Parkway and Old Winter Garden Road.

David Breen
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County
June 1, 2011

Vernon woman among Panama City crash injuries

Vernon woman among Panama City crash injuries
By Felicia Kitzmiller
Florida Freedom Newspapers

PANAMA CITY BEACH- Two people were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Back Beach Road and Hills Road early Thursday morning. According to a crash report from the Panama City Beach Police Department, Jamison Thomas-Earl Wood was intoxicated when he crashed into the rear of two motorcycles waiting to turn onto Back Beach Road (U.S. 98) at the stop sign on Hills Road. Matthew Tomasello, 24, of Mattoon, Ill., and Christie Michelle Anderson, 21, of Gainesville, were thrown from Tomasello's 2009 Kawasaki
motorcycle when they were hit by Wood, the report said. The second motorcycle, driven by Zachary Major, age unknown, of Vernon, and also ridden by passenger Kaitlyn Dover, 18, of
Murrayville, Ga., was struck either by Wood's vehicle or Tomasello's motorcycle.
None of the motorcyclists were wearing helmets. After hitting the motorcycles, police said Wood's vehicle, a 1996 Dodge pickup, continued into the intersection, striking a car traveling
east on Back Beach Road occupied by 21-year-old Wesley Pickenpaugh and 19-year-old Coralanne Embroski, both of Greenwood Circle in Panama City Beach. The car traveled into the
median, where it flipped "one or two times," and landed on its roof, the report said. Wood, 23, of Pinewood Drive in Panama City Beach, had a blood alcohol level of 0.196 and was charged with
driving under the influence, open container, driving with a suspended license, driving with an expired registration and failing to stop at a stop sign.
Tomasello and Pickenpaugh were taken by ambulance to Bay Medical Center. Tomasello's condition was not immediately available and Pickenpaugh was listed in serious condition in the intensive care unit.

Washington County News
Chipley
May 28, 2011

Motorcycle Crash Injures Two

A Lee man and a Madison woman were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Suwannee County on Sunday, May 15. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Randall Scott, 53, of
Suwanee, and his passenger, Retta Raggins, 49, of Madison, were flown by helicopter to Shands in Gainesville with serious injuries.
The wreck occurred in the southern part of Suwannee County.

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc

Madison County Carrier
May 25, 2011

Motorcyclist dies after accident

SAFETY HARBOR
A Tampa Man injured in a motorcycle accident on Memorial Day died Tuesday, officials said. Eric Von Schnetzer, 40, died about 11:30 a.m. at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said Von Schnetzer was northbound on Philippe Parkway about 2:20 p.m. Monday when he failed to negotiate a curve. Von Schnetzer of 6702 Camden Drive, No. 202, was not wearing a helmet.
St Petersburg Times
Pinellas County
June 1, 2011

Motorcycle crash kills man, woman

Motorcycle crash kills man, woman
LAKELAND-A 38-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were killed while riding a motorcycle
Monday night in Lakeland when it struck a car as it backed out of a driveway, according to the
Florida Highway Patrol.
Michael Mitts and Laura Nalley of Lakeland died at the scene on North Chestnut Road, near the intersection of lvey Lane, according to reports.
The accident happened shortly before 7:30p.m. Mitts, who was driving a 1992 Yamaha FZR 1 south on North Chestnut, struck a 1996 Ford Thunderbird, driven by Rakesha Corbett, 20, of Lakeland, as she backed out of a driveway.
To avoid the crash, Mitts applied the motorcycle's brakes, but lost control. The motorcycle
overturned onto the right side of the vehicle and slid into Corbett's car, reports said.
Mitts and Nalley, who were thrown from the motorcycle, died at the scene, troopers reported.
Mitts was not wearing a helmet, but Nalley was at the time of the collision. Corbett received minor injuries from the impact and her 10-year-old passenger, Ga-Nyha Jenkins, was not injured, reports said.
No charges have been filed in the accident.

Winter Haven News Chief
Polk County
May 18, 2011

Motorcyclist injured after hitting guardrail

SAFETY HARBOR
Motorcyclist injured after hitting guardrail
A 40-year-old man from Tampa was seriously injured Monday afternoon when his motorcycle
crashed in Safety Harbor. Pinellas sheriff’s deputies said Eric Von Schnetzer was driving north on Philippe Parkway about 2:20 p.m. when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway just
north of Enterprise Road. Deputies said Von Schnetzer locked the front brakes of the motorcycle and slid into a metal pedestrian guardrail. Schnetzer, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Deputies said he underwent surgery for serious head and internal wounds.
Deputies said alcohol could be a factor in the crash. An investigation is continuing.
St Petersburg Times
Pinellas County
May 31, 2011

Seven people injured in night of motorcycle crashes

Seven people injured in night of motorcycle crashes

PINELLAS PARK-There was a lot of mayhem involving motorcycles in the area around U.S.19 and 49th Street in Pinellas Park Wednesday night.

A series of incidents involving eight motorcyclists resulted in seven people being injured –six of them motorcyclists. Police said one of the motorcyclists suffered life-threatening injuries; everyone else involved in the incidents is expected to recover.

The incidents took place within about an hour and shut down parts of U.S.19 and 49th Street Wednesday night.

In the first, at 9 p.m. in the 12100 block of 49th Street, police said three motorcycles were speeding north when one of the riders, Pablo Quintana, 20, of Tarpon Springs, struck the back of a 2001 Lincoln that had just made a U-tum

Quintana, who was thrown 200 feet, suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover.

The driver of the Lincoln, Larhonda Robinson, 17, of Pinellas Park, was treated for minor injuries.

The other two motorcycles were laid down by their riders, Sven Desouza, 36, of Cleanl'ater, and Mikhail Lochan, 19, of Hud­son. Lochan suffered serious injuries, police said, but is expected to recover. Desouza, who slid about 250 feet, was treated at a hospital for a concussion and road rash, and then was released, police said.

All three motorcyclists were wearing helmets, police said. An investigation is ongoing and police have not yet determined whether charges will be filed.

A second serious motorcycle crash occurred about an hour later as authorities investigated two other minor incidents - both also involving motorcycles in the 12500 block of U.S.19 at about 9:40 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol troopers were summoned to that area to investigate an incident in which a car struck a metal object in the road that was then thrown into a motorcycle. The object disabled both the car and motorcycle.

As traffic slowed, another motorcyclist ran into the back of a car. No one was injured in either incident. But, as troopers investigated the two incidents, three motor­cyclists drove by. One of them, Pedro Manuel Perez, 50, of Palm Harbor, ran into the rear of a motorcycle driven by Randall Dean Shoudt, 44, of Clearwa­ ter. Perez was looking at the initial crash scenes when he hit Shoudt's bike, police said. Both Perez and Shoudt fell onto the road. That's when the third motorcycle, driven by Anthony Francese, 67, of Shrewsbury, Mass., slid into Perez. Francese had tried to stop his motorcycle, but could not and was thrown from the bike, police said. Perez suffered life-threatening injuries, police said, and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center. The hospital did not release his condition Thursday.

Shoudt and Francese suffered minor injurie.s and were treated at the scene.

Police said Perez and Shoudt were not wearing helmets. Francese was wearing a skull cap-like helmet, police said

Police say they are still investigating and deciding whether charge will be filed.

Motorcyclist killed in crash

TAMPA -A 25-year-old man was killed when he wrecked a motorcycle early Thursday morning.

The man, whose name has not been released, was traveling north at high speed on Nebraska Avenue about 2 a.m., according to the Tampa Police Department. At East Yukon Street, he crashed into the back of a pickup, authorities said.

Emergency crews took him to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A Miami man walked into a Publix for tuna fish and crackers, but walked out feeling humiliated after being wrongly accused of stealing eye drops

Managers at the Publix at 5715 NW 7th Street strip searched Cruz after suspecting he had stolen eye drops, according to the lawsuit.

Now, Cruz is seeking $15,000 for personal injury damages.

According to his attorney Spencer Aronfeld, Cruz walked into the Publix sometime in the evening of January 26th and purchased a can of tuna fish and crackers. He had picked up some eye drops but when he realized he didn't have the money, he put them back on a different shelf.

That's when he was approached by a Publix employee and store manager who accused him of shoplifting in front of other customers, Aronfeld said. They took him to a manager's office and then the men's room where he was asked to strip naked. Publix representatives threatened to call police if he declined, Aronfeld said. He was told to put his clothes back on by a third manager who had found the eye drops in another aisle.

"The general manager apologized and said it was a complete misunderstanding," Aronfeld said.

For more information please visit: http://cbs4.com/local/publix.nathaniel.cruz.2.1127428.html

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