According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two Volusia County motorcyclists were hurt Saturday after they collided with a 6-foot alligator on Interstate 4 in Orange City.
According to FHP, the incident occurred at approximately 6:08 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-4 near mile marker 110 in Orange City.
FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said in an email that while she suspected there had been additional gator-related accidents statewide, she was unaware of any recent ones in Central Florida.
A 67-year-old man from DeLeon Springs and a 25-year-old woman from Orange City were driving westbound in the inside lane, which is closest to the median, when they collided with the alligator, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The collision led both motorcycles to deviate to the left off the highway. The man’s motorcycle went into the woods and hit a tree. The woman’s motorcycle exited the road but did not reach the wood border.
The male was riding a 2022 Suzuki GSX-R1000R, while the woman rode a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 650. Both cyclists were sent to HCA Lake Monroe Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was summoned to assist with the injured gator. Chad Weber, an FWC spokesperson, said the gator was roughly 6 feet long. He stated that the FWC dispatched a trapper to take the gator, and the trapper would decide what to do with it, including whether to euthanize it.
Weber said it’s not uncommon for an alligator to seek warmth on a road because the pavement absorbs heat from the day’s sunlight. He stated he lives in Lake County and occasionally sees gators on the roadways.
The crash remains under investigation.
Reference: 2 motorcyclists injured when they hit a 6-foot alligator on I-4 in Orange City