1 killed in crash involving motorcycle and golf cart in Charlotte County

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 23-year-old Port Charlotte man was killed in a crash involving a motorcycle in Charlotte County on Monday afternoon, which caused road closures along El Jobean Road (State Road 776).

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, road closures affected SR-776 at Kerrigan Circle. Eastbound lanes in the area were closed after the crash.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the 23-year-old man was riding a 2019 Suzuki motorcycle in the right lane of El Jobean Road behind a larger vehicle.

Another vehicle, identified by FHP troopers as a Gator Utility Vehicle, was crossing the travel lanes as the motorcyclist changed into the left lane.

According to the FHP news release, the motorcycle collided with the side of the Gator Utility Vehicle. The 23-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the Gator Utility Vehicle, a 65-year-old Port Charlotte man, suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

Loved ones have said the 23-year-old man killed in the crash is Jacob Jones. They also told Gulf Coast News he loved riding his motorcycle and he was loved by friends and family.

[image id='f0e9f30a-aa1e-43ec-a833-91da93308eb2' mediaId='56d6773f-39fb-431e-9822-d20c1270cb56' align='center' size='medium' share='true' caption='Photo of Jacob Jones.' expand='' crop='original'][/image]

Jennifer Tichacek, a neighbor in El Jobean, told Gulf Coast News at the scene that the driver of the Gator Utility Vehicle is a worker for the local water utility association.

"Our El Jobean water guy. He is 24/7, working on our water, crossing this highway back and forth. It's kind of crazy to me that the county lets him do that without some sort of light in the area," Tichacek said.

The crash is under investigation, and FHP is working to determine how fast the motorcycle was going before the crash.

Count on Gulf Coast News to keep you updated.