BELLEVIEW, Fla. — Two motorcyclists are dead after a crash on Interstate 75 in Marion County closed all northbound lanes at County Road 484 on Thursday.
- At least 2 dead in crash involving semi, 2 motorcycles on I-75
- Northbound lanes of I-75 closed for several hours Thursday
- All lanes were closed for roughly five hours
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said that the fatal crash involved a tractor-trailer and three motorcycles. It was reported at 10:16 a.m.
Bruno Dicosimo, 55, of Italy, and Francesco Vitagilano, also of Italy, were killed as a result of the Thursday morning crash. The motorcyclists were both riding a 2018 Harley-Davidson FLTRX.
According to FHP, Dicosimo and Vitagilano were riding in the lane ahead of a Volvo tractor-trailer. Traffic slowed down ahead of the motorcyclists, causing Dicosimo to lose control of his motorcycle, which was eventually "laid down" on the road.
Vitagilano tried to avoid hitting Dicosimo but lost control, with his motorcycle was also ending up down on the road.
Troopers say both men landed in the center lane, where they were both struck by the tractor-trailer. A Subaru Forester subsequently struck the tractor-trailer from behind.
Cleared: Crash in Marion on I-75 north at MM 343, all lanes blocked. Last updated at 02:34:48PM.
— FL511 Central (@fl511_central) June 13, 2019
The drivers of the Subaru and tractor-trailer were not injured.
Traffic was backed up for roughly 6 miles to around mile marker 327. As of 3:20 p.m., all lanes were reopened.
A separate crash on I-75 also delayed motorists in Alachua County. The multi-vehicle crash on the southbound side to exit 387 closed the off-ramp to State Road 26. That crash was reported at 9:15 a.m.