A crash involving a motorcycle and an SUV occurred at 7:40 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the intersection of S. Alexander Street and Airport Road.
Melton Cortes, 29, was driving a Ford Explorer of which he was not the owner, stopped on S. Alexander Street in the left turn lane, facing northbound, waiting to turn onto Airport Road. Jayson Martinez, 36, was operating a Duca Monster motorcycle, traveling 40 mph (the posted speed) southbound on S. Alexander Street in the left southbound lane.
Cortes did not see Martinez’s vehicle, and entered the intersection, making the left turn to travel onto Airport Road. He failed to yield to Martinez, who had the right of way.
The front left of the Ford Explorer struck the left side of the motorcycle. Martinez was fully ejected from the motorcycle. The motorcycle then struck the raised concrete curbing and continued into a fence owned by TECO Energy, on the southwest corner of the intersection.
Martinez suffered fatal injuries.
Both vehicles were towed because of damage. Cortes was charged with operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and failing to yield.