Unlicensed driver fled scene after fatally striking motorcyclist, deputies say

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 28-year-old man who was driving without a license slammed into a motorcycle, ejecting and killing the rider, then ran away from the crime scene, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Jose Antonio Perez Jimenez, of Davenport, was driving a gray 2013 Chevy Silverado at a high rate of speed southbound on U.S. Highway 27 Saturday morning when he failed to stop for a red light and struck the back of a stopped orange 2020 Yamaha motorcycle.

The motorcyclist, 58-year-old Juan Santos, was ejected and landed 180 feet away in the intersection at Legacy Park Boulevard, according to a news release. He died at the scene.

His motorcycle also hit a Nissan Versa that was stopped at the red light but that driver didn’t suffer any injuries.

Deputies said after the crash, Jimenez ran away from the scene and was located at his home on Country World Drive West, where he admitted that he had been involved in the crash and fled because he didn’t have a driver’s license.

He’s facing charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license. Deputies said further charges are pending.