A motorcyclist was killed Friday after troopers believe he crashed into a guardrail along I-275 in Manatee County.
The crash occurred at 12:05 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-275 near the interchange with I-75.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 64-year-old Tarpon Springs man was riding a 2011 Harley-Davidson south on I-275 when he failed to navigate a right curve in the road.
The motorcycle traveled off the north shoulder and hit a guardrail. The man, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected over the guardrail and landed on the grass shoulder.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.
Collisions involving guardrails for motorcycle riders can result in tragic accidents, as this crash shows. Motorcycle riders sustain a significantly higher rate of fatality than occupants of other motor vehicles involved in a collision with a guardrail. While motorcyclists only account for around 2 percent of the vehicles on the road in the U.S., they make up 42 percent of all fatalities involving collisions with guardrails. The fatality risk for a collision involving a guardrail is nearly 80 times higher for motorcyclists compared to occupants of passenger vehicles.