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Man Killed in Motorcycle Crash in Land O’Lakes

July 15, 2011 - Land O'Lakes, Fla. - A man was killed Thursday, June 9 when his motorcycle was struck by another vehicle.

The St. Petersburg Times reports that the accident happened at about 11:24 p.m. on Oakstead Boulevard near Ashmonte Drive, in Land O'Lakes. Officials said that John A. Lauer, 57, was driving northbound on his 2009 Yamaha motorcycle when a southbound vehicle veered into his lane.

Lauer attempted to escape the accident by sliding his motorcycle onto its side. However, the vehicle continued past his motorcycle to run over Lauer on the roadway.

Lauer was killed in the crash in Land O'Lakes. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle, Tegan Barabato, 34, was not injured in the crash.

Whether or not drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash remains to be determined. Test results are pending.

The Florida Highway Patrol indicated that they would investigate all of the circumstances into the fatal accident.Though summer is typically associated with motorcycle accidents, motorcycle safety is a year-round concern in Florida, given that there are so many motorcycles on our roadways. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 Florida Crash Statistics, there were 2,978 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Florida.

As a service to the residents of St. Petersburg, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Florida that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.

Common accidents include, but are not limited to: 

• single-car accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers. 

If you have been named in this blog or you are the victim's family member or friend and would like the blog removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.

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