A 64-year-old motorcyclist from Westlake is dead after a crash at a rural Hardee County intersection where troopers say a Bokeelia man's car failed to yield the right of way. The collision happened Sunday at the stop-sign intersection of CR-663 and SR-64, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
Gulf Coast News reported that FHP said in a news release that a 2023 Nissan driven by the Bokeelia man was heading north on CR-663 toward the intersection when it collided with the motorcycle. The rider, meanwhile, was traveling east on SR-64 toward the same crossing. According to the outlet's report, the Nissan failed to yield to the motorcycle, leading to the collision.
The motorcyclist sustained critical injuries in the crash and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the report states. FHP said the crash remains under investigation, and no additional details about the cause have been released.
A Dangerous Stretch of Road
A Dangerous Stretch of Road This is not the only deadly wreck reported at that same CR-663 and SR-64 junction. A separate fatal collision at the stop-sign intersection on January 21 involved a Kia and a semi-trailer, according to tampabay28.com. In that incident, troopers said the northbound Kia violated the semi-trailer's right of way when it struck the trailer.
Motorcyclists in particular have faced repeated tragedy on Hardee County roads. The same outlet reported that a separate motorcyclist died in a Saturday crash along State Road 62 near Methodist Church Road, and that a Zolfo Springs motorcyclist was killed in a head-on crash reported in February 2024.
County Crash Numbers Underscore the Risk
The toll fits a broader pattern for the rural county. The Highlands News-Sun, citing the FHP Crash Dashboard, reported that Hardee County recorded 353 crashes in 2023, resulting in 11 fatalities and 163 injuries that year.
No citations, charges, or further findings have been announced in connection with Sunday's crash, and Florida Highway Patrol has not released additional information about road conditions or contributing factors. The investigation into the intersection collision continues.
