Father Killed, 8-Year-Old Critically Injured In Bradenton Motorcycle Crash: FHP

BRADENTON, FL — A 40-year-old father was killed, and his 8-year-old son critically injured in a Bradenton motorcycle crash Friday afternoon.

Dave Parham and his son, Jase, were riding on his Harley Davidson motorcycle Friday around 1:30 p.m., traveling south on 14th Street W. toward 58th Avenue W., when they were hit by a car turning into a parking lot.

The car, driven by a 71-year-old Bradenton man, “drove directly into the path of (the motorcycle,) violating his right of way,” Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.

They were both thrown from the motorcycle and Parham was declared dead at the scene by Manatee County EMS. Jase was flown to a local trauma hospital, FHP said.

Now, Parham’s family is rallying to support his widow, Rhonda, and children during their son’s recovery by raising funds needed to offset medical and living expenses.

Jase is currently in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital, his uncle, Randy Chambers, told Patch.

While the boy “is now stabilizing” following the crash, “he will be in the hospital a minimum of (three) weeks with several months of recovery ahead,” Chambers wrote on a Facebook donations page set up for the family. “The recovery will be a long one, while Mrs. Rhonda Parham is left with trying to cope with the loss of her husband, maintaining a household, injured child and the daily finances of a single-parent home with also a 16-year-old daughter.”

Parham had recently started a new job about three months ago and hadn’t qualified for health benefits or life insurance, yet, at the time of the crash, Chamber said.

According to a GoFundMe established for the family, “Both parents worked to provide for the family. Now, there will only be her mediocre income to sustain them. The driver of the car was a 71-year-old man. Insurance money, if there will be any, takes time. Please donate if you are able and pass this fundraiser on to others. This needs to grow exponentially to help cover medical bills and expenses while the grieving wife focuses on her son's recovery.”

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