ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol is looking for the driver of a white BMW who may have been street racing with a motorcyclist prior to a deadly crash in Orange County on Sunday.
Jill Forbes, 37, was riding her bicycle when she was hit and killed by a man riding his motorcycle Sunday evening at the corner of Colonial Drive and Avalon Parkway, according to FHP
[TRENDING: Florida’s minimum wage increasing | Man accused of killing Nassau County deputy arrested | TIMELINE: Miya Marcano case | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“The bike was in a million pieces I mean like I’ve never seen… I didn’t know it could be tore apart like that,” Bernice Bennett, a friend of Forbes said.
Authorities said the motorcyclist, a 26-year-old Orlando man, was driving a 2004 Suzuki on Colonial Drive and racing a white BMW.
Forbes, of Christmas, was attempting to cross Colonial Drive when the front of the motorcycle hit her bike, authorities said.
Bennett said she rushed to Forbes’ side moments after she was hit.
“You don’t expect to walk out and see someone that you know lying there knowing you can’t help them,” Bennett said.
Bennett died at the hospital according to troopers.
“This is the third crash in Orange County this year that the Florida Highway Patrol has investigated in which we expect street racing and this is exactly why it’s against the law,” Lt. Kim Montes with FHP said.
Montes said the driver of the motorcycle does have charges pending against him. A challenge going forward, according to Montes, is proving a street race occurred.
“In years past, we’ve had some difficulty proving the criminal charge of street racing rather than just speed alone, she said. “But in this case, we had three separate individual witnesses that gave a statement that this vehicle and this motorcycle appeared to be engaged in a street race.”
The motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital, the FHP said. Troopers are looking for the driver of the BMW, who they say did not stop when the motorcyclist struck the bicyclist.
Friends and family of Forbes say while they honor Forbes, they need accountability from the driver of the white BMW
“Come forward, don’t just run and hide because it’ll be worse on you,” Bennett said.