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Witnesses Sought In Fatal Motorcycle Crash

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TBO.com

Published: September 1, 2008

Authorities hope someone will have information about a fatal crash that shut down the eastbound lanes of Interstate 4 at Interstate 75 for several hours this morning.

A motorcyclist crashed into the rear of a tractor trailer at 2:44 a.m., ejecting the driver, Rafael A. Colon, 32, of Mulberry, into the road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Two cars ran over him and continued driving, the crash report states.

The FHP wants to talk to those drivers. It's possible they do not know they hit the motorcyclist, Trooper Stephens said. One car is described as a newer-model 4-door passenger car with tinted windows. The second vehicle is a dark-colored passenger car.

The driver of the tractor trailer, 29-year-old Leonardo Hernandez, of Tampa, was not injured in the crash. Hernandez was driving eastbound in the left center lane of I-4 approaching I-75 when the motorcycle came up behind him, investigators said. The motorcycle did not try to slow down or change lanes and struck the left rear portion of the truck, troopers said.

Troopers closed the eastbound lanes of I-4 for about 4 hours. They reopened the highway just after 6 a.m.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to call the Tampa Florida Highway Patrol Station at (813) 632-6859.

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