POLK COUNTY, Fla. – One man is dead after a collision between a motorcycle and a car. The crash happened on Saturday, shutting down Ronald Reagan Parkway for several hours while investigators worked the scene.
Emergency crews from Polk County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office were called out to Loughman just after 9:00 p.m. When they arrived on the westbound side of the parkway, near Thousand Oaks Boulevard, they found 41-year-old Reinaldo Lopez, Jr.
The Poinciana resident, who had been riding a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle, had passed away from his injuries at the scene. Deputies noted that Lopez was wearing a helmet when the crash happened.
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Detectives from the Traffic Homicide unit pieced together what likely went wrong. They believe Lopez was heading west on his bike when a 2015 Mercedes-Benz sedan cut into his path.
The driver of the Mercedes, 30-year-old Melissa Soberanis of Davenport, had been driving east but tried to make a U-turn at the intersection to head back the other way. As the car turned, it moved directly in front of the motorcycle, and the two vehicles collided.
Soberanis and her passenger, 25-year-old Sihomaris Seise of Winter Garden, were both buckled up and walked away without any injuries.
The road remained closed for about three hours Saturday night as crews cleared the wreckage. While the investigation is still active, detectives said speed didn’t look like a factor, and they don’t expect to file criminal charges at this time.
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