The driver of a pickup truck was arrested for DUI manslaughter after he allegedly crashed into the back of a motorcycle trying to make a left turn, killing its two elderly riders.
The fatal accident took place near the intersection of State Road 46 and Rest Haven Road in Geneva on Sunday, October 22 at around 8:10 p.m.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 65-year-old man from Geneva and his passenger, a 61-year-old woman from Geneva, were riding a 1996 Harley Davidson Motorcycle westbound on SR 46, approaching Rest Haven Road.
As the couple came to a stop to make a left turn into a driveway, 40-year-old Michael Lawrence Thompson, who was driving a 2015 Chevrolet 2500, failed to observe the motorcycle in the roadway.
As a result, the pickup truck collided with the rear of the motorcycle, causing the riders to be thrown from the vehicle.
After the initial impact, a 2022 Ford Escape that was traveling eastbound on SR 46 saw the accident and parked on the south shoulder of the roadway to help those involved.
At the same time, an 81-year-old man traveling westbound on a 2020 GMC Canyon failed to observe all of the vehicles on the south shoulder of the roadway. As a result, the 81-year-old man’s pickup collided with one of the parked vehicles.
The motorcyclists were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Thompson and his passenger, a 9-year-old girl from Sanford, were not injured in the accident.
Thompson was arrested and booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County. He is facing two counts of DUI manslaughter, according to jail records.