Even experienced, careful motorcyclists can be vulnerable to unexpected objects in the road. This is especially true if the object falls suddenly off of another vehicle, which is believed to be the cause of a motorcycle accident that fatally injured a married couple on a Florida highway earlier in February.The couple were from Canada, and lived in Florida during the winter. On Feb. 18, they were part of a group of 35 people who went for a motorcycle ride that took them onto the southbound side of State Road 46 in Seminole County. The couple were avid riders, who went on this group ride every week. The group passed a construction zone on the other side of the highway. A truck came toward them on the northbound side. As the truck passed, a spool of wire fell off the truck and landed in the couples’ path.The couple’s motorcycle struck the coil, causing an accident. Both died as a result. Their ages were not given by WFTV-TV, and it is not clear if they were survived by any children.The truck driver continued on, and the truck did not return to the scene for more than two hours. Whether the truck was being used by the road construction crew is not mentioned in the WFTV report. Charges against the driver are pending, the Highway Patrol said.A motorist does not have to make contact with another vehicle in order to be negligently responsible for a car accident. He or she has the duty to make sure that any objects he or she is carrying stay within his or her vehicle, within reason. If it is found that the wire spool had been carelessly secured onto the truck, the driver could face a wrongful death lawsuit from this tragic motorcycle crash. Source: WFTV-TV, “Husband, wife killed when wire spool falls from truck, strikes motorcycle,” Feb. 18, 2014
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