A man performs a stunt on his motorcycle.Motorcyclists performing death-defying stunts at high speeds while weaving through traffic on I-95 are not, unfortunately, an unusual sight in Miami, but last night those tricks proved deadly for one man.
Police say the man, either 25 or 26 years old, lost control of his bike while driving at high speeds and popping wheelies. He crashed into a light pole, the bike caught fire, and the driver was ejected over the side of the elevated interstate.
The incident happened around 11 last night in the northbound lanes just south of the MacArthur Causeway. According to the Miami Herald, the man might have been trying to impress a female driver with his stunts.
After he lost control and hit a light pole, his bike caught fire and debris was sent spewing along the highway. The impact threw him from the bike, and he landed on a surface street below. The helmet he was wearing was unable to save him.
Police say he was driving a modified high-speed bike.
"I tried to go get him from the bike, but he wasn't on the bike. I walked down the bridge and I saw his torso, and it just threw me," witness Tia Finley told CBS4 after she stopped to try to assist after the crash. Finley said she had been behind the motorcyclist for about ten miles and saw him interact with and try to get the attention of a female driving another vehicle.
Police closed the section of highway to investigate the crash but reopened the lanes by 6:30 a.m. for the morning commute.
The man has been identified, but his name has not been made public yet.
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