Body Of Jimmy Butler Discovered By Highway Workers

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Two highway workers picking up trash along the side in Interstate 275 just north of 54th Avenue South discovered the body of missing Lakewood Ranch resident Jimmy Butler along with pieces of his motorcycle that look to have been involved in an accident.

The workers discovered Butler's body in some bushes on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 10:55 a.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Steve Gaskins, 27-year-old had been missing since Nov. 18. He was last seen attending a motorcycle event on St. Pete Beach. .

The FHP has concluded that the crash was an accident. While traveling south on I-275, for unknown reasons Butler's 2002 Honda motorcycle left the highway and entered the grass median where the motorcycle overturned and collided with several trees.

Upon impact, Butler was ejected from the motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries approximately 50 feet from the road in an area of brush.

In a Facebook post, Butler's father thanked those who helped search for his son over the past two weeks.

He added: "Please keep his daughter, his three sisters in your prayers as they struggle to deal with this loss."

Image via Butler family

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)