A young motorcyclist is dead after a Saturday night crash in Boca Raton.
Eighteen-year-old William T. Willard of Boca Raton was headed west on Glades Road near Golf Course Road at about 8:24 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2012. He appeared to be driving at a high rate of speed when he crashed into a Toyota Corolla that was making a left turn off of Glades Road onto Golf Course Road. Willard was ejected from his motorcycle. He died at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident.
The car was driven by 82-year-old Francisco E. Curril. Curril and his passenger, 68-year-old Maria M. Curril, both of Boca Raton, were taken to West Boca Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.
The Boca Raton accident is still under investigation. However, piecing together what really happened may not be simple. In most cases, liability for a left-turn accident belongs to the driver of the car making the left turn. But there are exceptions if:
- The vehicle going straight was going too fast.
- The vehicle going straight ran a red light.
- The left-turn car began to turn when it was safe but something unexpected happened to slow down or stop its turn.
While witnesses reported that the motorcycle appeared to be speeding, it is very difficult to judge the actual speed of a motorcycle by eye. Because motorcycles are smaller than cars, they often appear to be moving faster than they actually are.
Boca Raton accident injury attorney David Glatthorn would like to offer his condolences to the family of William Willard.
