2 motorcyclists injured when they hit a 6-foot alligator on I-4 in Orange City
Two Volusia County motorcyclists and a 6-foot alligator were injured Saturday when the motorcycles struck the gator on Interstate 4 in Orange City, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 6:08 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-4 in the area of mile marker 110 in Orange City, according to FHP.
FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi wrote in an email that while she imagined there have been other accidents involving gators statewide, she was unaware of any others recently in Central Florida.
A 67-year-old DeLeon Springs man and a 25-year-old Orange City woman were traveling westbound in the inside lane, which is the closest lane to the median, when they struck the alligator, FHP stated.
The impact caused both motorcycles to veer to the left off the highway. The man's motorcycle entered the wood line and struck a tree. The woman's motorcycle left the roadway but did not go as far as the wood line.
The man was riding a 2022 Suzuki GSX-R1000R and the woman was riding a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 650.
Both riders were transported to HCA Lake Monroe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was called to help with the injured gator.
FWC spokesman Chad Weber said the gator was about 6 feet long. He said the FWC called a trapper to remove the gator and the trapper would decide what to do with the gator, including whether to euthanize it.
Weber said it's not unusual for an alligator to seek the warmth of a road since the pavement retains heat from the day's sunlight. He said he lives in Lake County and he occasionally sees gators on roads.
He said for more information about alligators, people could check the commission's website at myfwc.com.
The crash remains under investigation.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2 bikers hit gator on I-4 in Orange City, all 3 injured
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