HILLIARD, Fla. – News4JAX spoke with the man who tried to save the life of a motorcyclist involved in a fatal crash over the weekend.
“If somebody’s hurt — you go try and help.” Those words propelled Damian Owens into action on Sunday afternoon.
That’s when FHP said a 14-year-old in a side-by-side ended up on the wrong side of Mulberry Landing West and crashed into a 65-year-old on his motorcycle.
That’s when the normally quiet Hilliard afternoon erupted into chaos.
“Tried to see if he was responsive, which he was not at the time,” Owens said, recounting his attempts to help the motorcyclist.
Owens said the motorcyclist was breathing but not responding. Then, his pulse faded.
“Just sitting there thinking there’s nothing I can do,” he said. “It does suck. But what I was mostly thinking about was what is his family going to do? How are they going to feel?”
FHP said the motorcyclist died at the scene. The teenage ATV driver sustained minor injuries.
“I feel sorry for both sides,” Owens said. “Nothing nobody should ever have to go through, not the kid, not the family, not the other family and nobody should ever have to go through that.”
Owens said the motorcyclist was more than just another rider on Mulberry Landing West. Each day, he’d cruise past with a large American flag on his bike. A sight that Owens said inspired him.
Now, at the spot where the crash occurred, an American flag stands in his memory.
“He always pushed for America and showed me that no matter what everybody thinks, do what you want,” Owens said
He said the site is open for anyone wishing to pay their respects.
The FHP report indicates that charges may follow as the investigation continues.
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regulations specify that ATV operators under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said the potential penalties could be as steep as some type of vehicular homicide, but even potential civil liability for the parents.
“There are some circumstances that law enforcement would look at with a crash to make a determination as to how safely or unsafely it was driven and was the motorcycle rider of any contributing factor to what’s going on,” Hackney said.
