2 dead after 4-vehicle crash on S. Tamiami Trail in Bonita Springs

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The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol have responded to a four-vehicle crash that killed two people at South Tamiami Trail and Bernwood Parkway.

This crash Thursday night comes after five people were killed in a fiery crash along the same road less than four miles away at U.S. 41 and Williams Road.

FHP and LCSO arrived to this latest scene in Bonita Springs at around 8:30 p.m., Thursday.

According to FHP, two vehicles were traveling back-to-back on U.S. 41 South, while one vehicle and a motorcycle were traveling north on U.S. 41, north of Bernwood Parkway.

This crash, along with the fiery fatal crash, means that seven lives were lost in seven days from crashes on US-41 in Bonita Springs.

“That crash sent the not-at-fault vehicle across into the opposing lane of traffic, where there was a motorcyclist and a passenger traveling north on 41 not doing anything wrong,” said Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Greg Bueno.

A rear-ended crash occurred between the two vehicles driving south, forcing them to redirect themselves across the center-raised median and into the northbound lanes of traffic, said FHP.

The vehicle then collided with the motorcycle’s front end, launching the motorcyclist and passenger off their vehicle.

The side of the motorcycle crashed into the vehicle driving northbound.

“We can’t fix that. We can’t undo that. So we have to be better. We have to do better. We have to understand the level of maturity it takes to drive a car,” said Bueno.

The rear-ended vehicle that crashed into the motorcycle continued into the grassy shoulder of the road, eventually crashing into a traffic sign.

The motorcyclist and their passenger were pronounced deceased on the scene.

All north and southbound lanes have since reopened.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and the identities of those involved remain unknown.

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