A 62-year-old Interlachen man was killed when an ATV crossed State Road 100 and collided with his motorcycle in Putnam County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash happened around 7:08 p.m. west of State Road 26, and three people in the ATV suffered minor injuries.
According to News4JAX, investigators say the ATV had been traveling east along the right shoulder of the westbound lane before it began crossing State Road 100 diagonally to the south. The motorcycle, meanwhile, was heading east in the eastbound lane. FHP said the motorcycle driver tried to avoid the ATV but could not, and the two vehicles collided in the roadway.
The motorcyclist died in the crash. The ATV continued across the highway and struck a tree on the right shoulder of the eastbound lane, where it came to a stop.
Three ATV Occupants Hurt, One Ejected
The ATV was carrying three people at the time of the crash, the station's report states. A 60-year-old man from Melrose and two women, ages 54 and 62, all sustained minor injuries. One passenger, seated in the front right of the ATV, was ejected during the collision, according to the same account. FHP said its investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
A Stretch of Highway Already Under Scrutiny
The crash lands on a corridor that has already drawn safety attention this year. In February 2025, a head-on collision near Bardin Road on State Road 100 killed two adults and seriously injured a child, as reported by Palatka Daily News. The outlet also reported that the Putnam County Sheriff's Office has logged 215 traffic stops on State Road 100 over the past six months as part of ongoing enforcement efforts.
State transportation officials have planned improvements at the highway's intersections with Bardin Road and County Road 315, Palatka Daily News reported, with a resurfacing project that includes Bardin Road turn-lane work targeted for bid letting on Oct. 28.
The fatality adds to a string of serious crashes involving motorcycles and ATVs in Putnam County this year. A Hollister man was killed in a separate ATV crash in the county in September, after veering off the road while approaching a curve, according to WCJB.
No further details have been released on the identity of the motorcyclist or the ATV's occupants beyond their ages and hometowns, and FHP has not said who was driving the ATV. The agency has not indicated when the investigation might conclude.
