Motorcyclist Dies In Head-On Collision With SUV On SR-39

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A motorcyclist died Friday night when he collided head-on with an SUV on State Road 39, according to state police.

Authorities said the motorcyclist — identified as a 27-year-old Auburndale man — was driving north on SR-39 at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m.

According to police, the motorcyclist attempted to pass multiple northbound vehicles in a no-passing zone when he collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee headed south on SR-39.

Following the crash, the motorcycle overturned before colliding with a guardrail and bursting into flames, police said. The driver was thrown down a nearby embankment, according to authorities.

The motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the SUV — identified as a 17-year-old boy from Plant City — and several teenage passengers suffered minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.