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Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Highway 97 Hit And Run Wreck
April 9, 2013
A 72-year old motorcyclist was seriously injured in a hit and run accident Monday night in Molino.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Bruce Winsor of Pensacola and the pickup that fled the scene were both traveling northbound on Highway 97 near Gibson Road about 7:30 p.m. Winsor was traveling two to three car lengths behind the pickup and one of the witnesses when he changed lanes and attempted to pass the vehicles in front of him. At that time, the pickup slowed and began to turn onto Gibson Road. The front of Winsor’s Honda 1300 motorcycle struck the rear quarter panel of the pickup.
Winsor was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance as a “trauma alert”.
The vehicle that fled the scene was described as a older model, single cab cab pickup that was teal in color, possibly a Ford F150.
Anyone with information on the crash should contact the Florida Highway Patrol or local law enforcement. Charges in the crash are pending, according to FHP.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: A motorcyclist was critically injured in this hit and run accident on Highway 97 in Molino Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
33 Responses to “Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Highway 97 Hit And Run Wreck”
was the guy in the pickup truck ever picked up, or has he turned himself in yet?
Thank you for all your prayers and concerns. My Dad is still in ICU but is making steady progress, So, please continue to pray.
I also pray for the person who was involved in the accident and left and I pray he will come forward as well if for nothing else his own sanity.
To my Dads friends, you may contact me at my email and I will keep you updated and pass on to him your thoughts. Aspendakota@yahoo.com
Again, Thanks for the continued prayers.
Thank you ALL for the much needed prayers and concerns. They are greatly appreciated. My Dad is still in ICU! But is getting better. So, please continue praying for his healing.
I do pray for the individual who was involved as well as praying he will come forward for his on sanity if nothing else.
For those of my Dads friends you can contact me at my email for updates on progress. Aspendakota@yahoo.com
Have known Bruce from the NADEP days at NAS Pensacola.
Treasure his friendship. My prayers are with him and his family.
Please keep us updated on his condition and when we might visit.
Bruce, Our prayers are with you ! You and Margaret are always in our minds and hearts.
Shari and Jerry
Praying for Bruce and his family. Hope The names and tips in this comment section are investigated. What the driver didn’t realize was that, there are so many in this community that know Bruce, someone will turn the guy in. Hopefully for his own sake, and forgiveness he turn himself in!
@bewildered – As long as it was a legal passing zone the MC had the right of way. The driver would have violated his right of way if making a left turn before checking to see if he was being passed.
F.S. 316.122 Vehicle turning left.—The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, or vehicles lawfully passing on the left of the turning vehicle, which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard. A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.
i have tried to get signs put on highway 97 indicating there is a road there [Gibson is a paved road used by many people including school busses } I think there were signs there before 97 was repaved three years ago. It is not a good place for a passing zone. cars turning south from gibson cannot see very far because of all the trees and bushes that need trimming back. I tried to get this done but it didn’t happen. hopefully it will be done before anyone is killed.
Maybe they can trace the phone number from tower pings in the area . As a biker myself, I feel his pain and hope they arrest the driver soon.
Oversight made a valid point. I stress to my grandsons who still have learners’ permits that it is never save to pass 3 or 4 cars at once. There is no excuse for leaving the scence of an accident, but if the pick-up used the proper turn signals before slowing down to turn left, fault lies with the motorcycle driver.also.
I have known Bruce for many years ,great friend . All your friends at AC Reed are praying for you.
Prayers forthe biker and his family.
To the man who left the scene; I know youre scared and didnt mean for this to happen, but please turn yourself in. You know you will feel better when you admit what you did and accept the consequences. Everybody makes mistakes and that was a big one. Please do what you can to make it better. If for no other reason, because you were seen, can be identified, and some one will turn you in to crimestoppers for the reward if nothing else. Be an adult and accept responsibility. Your kids and grandkids are watching you.
My prayers for Bruce’s injuries and for the stresses on his family during this time.
I was in a similar accident on a motorcycle over 20 years ago. I moved to pass a car in front of me that had slowed down but showed no turn signals. There was a street on the right, so I assumed that the car was slowing to turn right. As I passed, the driver of the car instead turned left toward a small street that I had not noticed and the car hit my bike right behind my foot. The bike was knocked off the road at an angle and I was flipped over the handlebars straight in the air, landed on my side, and slid for 100 feet (measured by the police). My foot was injured but not badly since I was wearing boots and also a big jacket and gloves which saved my skin. My helmet was scratched up badly which is why I don’t understand riders without them, I would have been killed or suffered bad head injuries without it.
The police determined that I was in a legal passing zone and that the car’s turn signals didn’t work, so the car driver was faulted. But I realized that I should NOT have tried to pass and should have been more patient with the slower driver. The motorcycle was totaled.
The reason for my comment is to say that I wish I had not tried to pass the car. I was injured, had a bone contusion in my foot, and could not walk for 2 weeks. It could have been much worse for me. I pray that Bruce is able to recover and learn the same lesson that I learned. I don’t want to hurt here. I try to help everybody learn from my bad experience.
My Dad, Bruce is still in ICU. Thank you for prayers.
For those of ill comment posting…could you please be respectful
In your commenting for myself and my family. Thank you.
there is a shared responsibility in passing, the passer and the passee both have to make sure the path is clear to pass. both vehicles used their turn signals and the bike had already pulled out to pass traffic, and would have had plenty room, when the pu truck put the left turn signal on to turn, the biker was honking his horn and flashing his side lights, and was taking evasive action when the truck turned in front of him.
the bike had already passed me when this happened, I was directly behind the truck. I moved over to give room, but the bike impacted the truck on the driver’s side as the truck turned. it did not look like the truck ever saw the bike coming, and after he stopped, he stayed a few minutes, then as I was still on the phone to 911, the truck left, too far away from me to get a tag#
I estimate it was a 5-10 yr old F150, single cab I think, older driver, thin, mid to late 60’s age, white hair,kind of a two tone blue, or teal color truck…be on the lookout for driver’s side damage..regardless of who would have gotten the ticket, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is not a good thing ever.
without a helmet, I don’t think the driver would have made it…may the Lord be with you Bruce, and your family…prayers are continuing, and for the pu truck , may his heart be convicted and come forth to the sheriff’s dept.
when I heard the biker’s name, I realized that I knew him, it has been well over 25 yrs since I have seen him, so I did not recognize him at first..he is a good guy…former marine.
Semper Fi
For Bruce and his his family: please know your firiends from the Fellowship are sending their prayers to you in buckets full for your speedy recovery and restoration of your health.
For the person who left the scene, we pray you find the strength to make this right and accept responsibility for leaving a wounded human who did not desrve to be abandoned in his time of need. Lord knows why but you’ll be forgiven by our Lord but please make this right – the longer the wait, the higher the price you pay to yourself.
I was behind the biker(s) as they attempt to pass one car and the truck, which was going way below the speed limit. At the last moment Mr. Winsor seemed to notice, as we all did, that the truck driver suddenly decided to turn left and the biker attempted to turn with him – probably trying to avoid the accident but the truck driver slowed to a near stop in the turn and that is when the biker hit the truck. The truck driver got out of his truck walked towards the injured, made a call on the cell and suddenly turned and ran to his truck and left – COWARD!!! The biker had his turn signal on to alert both vehicles of the passing and was nearly side by side of the truck when the trucker put on his turn signal and started to turn. Unfortunate accident for Mr. Winsor.
Praying for the Biker.
Since there were questions about this, this sentence has been updated to reflect verbatim the FHP report:
“Winsor was traveling two to three car lengths behind the pickup and one of the witnesses”
I am a friend of Bruce and wish him well. I will pray for his recovery. Bruce is a super guy, a Marine Corp vet and one of the nicest persons I have known.
Oversight: The article did not say he was three cars behind, but rather car LENGTHS….meaning he was not tailgaiting. The sentence structure did not leave anyone to believe the motorcyclist was passing anything other than one vehicle. Additionally, it is illegal to make a left hand turn without checking behind you for passing vehicles in a passing zone.
Terry,
I knew a Bruce Windsor who worked out at Saufley Field and a very nice man indeed. Praying for your family and hoping that he is able to make a speedy recovery. Keep us posted as to how Bruce is doing if you do not mind.
The comments I am reading are saying I hope they catch the guy that hit him. Uness I am misunderstanding this the motorcycle hit the truck, not the other way around?? Driver still should not have fled, but doesnt sound like it was his fault.
My husband was in the vehicle in front of the motorcycle involved in the 29 and morris ave hit and run. To answer your question, no the hit and run driver has not been caught. His name is Guy Kelly Coggins. And the FHP has done a poor job trying to locate him. He lost his license in 2010 for DUI’s. So good luck with the FHP on this one. They don’t do much. Sending prayers to this accident victim.
Praying for you “Big” Bruce.
Prayers are with our fellow rider, hope he is OK and they catch the SOB that ran away from the scene.
Terry, Did your Dad work at Saufley Field? I worked with a Bruce Windsor at Saufley. Wondering if this is him. Praying for your Dad and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Here’s a single sentence that speaks for a crash that could and should be attributed to the motorcycle driver: “Winsor was two to three car lengths behind the pickup when he changed lanes and attempted to pass the vehicles in front of him.”
Two or three cars behind? So he was going to try and pass THREE or FOUR vehicles at once. Not a wise idea because one can’t predict the actions of all those drivers or even know if they all see the overtaking vehicle.
Two hit and runs on motorcycles? Be careful out there folks!!! If you know who did this tell ESCO!
Thank All of you for the prayers. The man hit is my father
Bruce. He is in critical condition but they have been able to stableize
him and justed moved him from trauma to ICU.
They have NOT caught the person who hit him and kept going.
I pray this persons identity be revealed.
Please continue to pray!
Thank you
Terry
Praying for the biker and their family. Hope they catch the jerk that fled.
>>William, did they ever catch the last guy that hit the biker at 29 and Morris Ave?
Not that they ever announced. And someone familiar with the biker posted on my Facebook that they had not.
William, did they ever catch the last guy that hit the biker at 29 and Morris Ave?
Praying For A Brother Biker