Gator Dies After Crash With Motorcycle

WIMAUMA, FL — A Friday morning crash involving a 27-year-old Wimauma man on a motorcycle and an alligator initially left both injured. The man was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries, while the Florida Highway Patrol reported the gator was in critical condition. That status changed, however, Friday afternoon.

"The alligator expired today from injuries sustained during the crash," the patrol announced in an email to media. There was no update on the motorcyclist's condition reported Friday afternoon.

The crash happened around 12:28 a.m. May 19 as Calun Ethan Nelson was riding a Suzuki west on State Road 674. Troopers say Nelson was just west of Katie Stanaland Road when the 10-foot-9-inch gator decided to cross.

The Suzuki struck the alligator, a highway patrol report said, ejecting Nelson from the bike. While Nelson was wearing a helmet, the impact caused serious injuries. He was airlifted from the scene and taken to a local hospital.

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No charges were filed in the crash, authorities say.

As temperatures spike into the 90s, reports of alligators wandering in places people don’t expect to find them are climbing. Numerous residents throughout the Tampa Bay area have reported spotting the critters wandering through their neighborhoods in recent weeks. Just last month, an alligator made its way onto the Veterans Expressway, snarling traffic in the Carrollwood area during rush hour. While no injuries were reported from that gator's decision to cross the road, both incidents serve as reminders that the warmer months do signal an uptick in activity for those of the reptilian kind.

“All reptiles are more active in warmer months,” Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a previous interview. “The body temperature and activity levels of alligators and other reptiles is directly related to the temperature of their surroundings.”

Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators. That means they’re likely to be found in all parts of the state, a message FWC tries to share frequently.

“You are likely to find alligators in almost every body of freshwater in the state at some time or another,” Morse said. “Alligators also frequent brackish waters and are sometimes found in saltwater where they will remain for short periods.”

See also: Alligator Snarls Traffic On Florida Expressway

The first rule of living with gators or visiting a state where they are so abundant, Morse said, is to “never approach an alligator – appreciate it from a safe distance.”

To help people stay safe around alligators, the state has created an educational brochure that Morse recommends all residents and visitors check out. “It’s imperative that people become informed about alligators and alligator safety,” he said. “Go to our website at MyFWC.com and read the Living With Alligators brochure.”

The state has also set up a hotline for people to call to report nuisance alligators. That number is 1-866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission