A routine late-morning drive turned tragic in Lake Worth Beach, where a West Palm Beach man died after his motorcycle collided with a car at a busy intersection and he later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The rider, 66-year-old John D. Dey, was involved in the Thursday morning crash at North Dixie Highway and 13th Avenue North. He was rushed to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died on Saturday from injuries suffered in the collision.
According to WPBF 25 News, deputies said the crash happened around 11:04 a.m. A Hyundai Elantra, driven by a 24-year-old woman from Lake Worth Beach, reportedly made a left turn into the path of Dey’s motorcycle, and the bike struck the front of the car. Investigators said Dey was operating the motorcycle at the time and was taken from the scene to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died two days later.
Left turns remain a common, deadly pattern
The Federal Highway Administration notes that left-turn and failure-to-yield crashes are a recurring danger for motorcyclists, especially in two-vehicle collisions. Its Motorcycle Crash Causation Study points to other drivers misjudging a motorcycle’s speed or overlooking a bike entirely, with intersection maneuvers like left turns often leading to the most severe injuries for riders. The agency recommends focused safety treatments at locations where these problems show up again and again.
Local safety work
The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency has been promoting Vision Zero strategies aimed at cutting fatal and serious traffic injuries across the county. The group stresses that people walking, biking, or riding motorcycles bear a disproportionate share of the serious trauma on local roads, even though they make up a smaller share of total trips. High-injury corridors and intersection upgrades are among the agency’s priorities, including treatments meant to reduce the kind of crossing crash investigators say happened here.
Investigation ongoing
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the collision, and authorities have not announced any charges, according to WPBF 25 News. The driver of the Hyundai was identified in reports only as a 24-year-old woman from Lake Worth Beach. Detectives are reviewing available evidence, including any video and witness statements. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office through its official channels.
Officials have not released additional details about Dey’s family beyond what appeared in the sheriff’s statement. For riders and drivers alike in Palm Beach County, the crash stands as another reminder that intersections, and left turns in particular, can turn deadly in a split second when attention or judgment lapses.
