A 57-year-old Orlando man died after his motorcycle struck a deer on Lake Pickett Road near Tanner Road in Orange County, and a Tesla Model Y following behind then ran over him, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash happened Wednesday night just after 9 p.m.
Troopers said the man was riding a 2016 Harley-Davidson Street Glide westbound on Lake Pickett Road ahead of a 2025 Tesla Model Y driven by a 53-year-old woman, as reported by WESH. As the motorcycle and the Tesla approached Tanner Road, a deer crossed the road and the motorcyclist hit the animal. The impact threw him from his motorcycle, and the Tesla then ran over him, FHP said.
The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Tesla driver was not injured in the crash and stayed at the scene, per the same account.
Not an Isolated Incident on Florida and Carolina Roads
In September 2025, an 18-year-old Palm Coast man died after his motorcycle struck a deer in Flagler County and he was then hit by a car, according to ClickOrlando.
A similar tragedy unfolded in North Carolina in late September, when a 55-year-old motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a deer on U.S. 701 south of Whiteville, according to the Charlotte Observer. That wreck happened around 2:30 a.m. as the rider traveled northbound, and a passenger riding with him was also thrown from the motorcycle and taken to a hospital, where she was expected to recover. About 90% of reported animal-related crashes involve deer.
A Rising National Toll
Deaths from motor vehicle collisions with animals have climbed sharply over the decades, rising from 89 nationwide in 1975 to 210 in 2024, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The institute found that in 2024, 63% of animal-involved crash deaths occurred in crashes where the collision with the animal itself was the most harmful event, and that these deaths occurred most often during July through September. A review of 147 fatal animal crashes across nine states in the early 2000s found that 77% of the animals struck were deer, and Texas has recorded the highest number of animal-collision deaths of any state over the past decade.
Florida continually ranks among the top three states nationally for motorcycle-related fatalities, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
