Marco Island, FL (February 6, 2020) - An off-duty lieutenant with the Marco Island Police Department was killed in a crash on Wednesday, February 5th. The crash was reported around 6:15 p.m. on San Marco Road.
According to reports, Officer Clayton Smith was riding a scooter westbound on San Marco around 6:15 p.m. As Smith approached the intersection, 23-year-old Dale Lowe turned left in front of his scooter. Lowe was driving eastbound on San Marco at the time. Smith's scooter slammed into Lowe's vehicle. Smith was rushed to Lee Memorial Hospital where he later died. Lowe was not hurt in the crash.
No further details were released and it is not clear if charges will be filed at this time.
According to current statistics, fatal accidents take place in Florida about once every three hours. Crashes involving two-wheeled vehicles such as scooters and motorcycles tend to involve more fatalities and catastrophic outcomes than crashes where traditional vehicles are involved. Mopeds, motorcycles, and scooters are not built to withstand the force of powerful collisions and these drivers are at much greater risk of death and serious injury when a crash occurs.
Our condolences are with the family of Clayton Smith at this time.
Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals & families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases of personal injury relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the injury and tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.
Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see any information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments.
