AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Two people are dead and another driver was hospitalized after a motorcyclist crashed into a van Wednesday afternoon in Auburndale.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office identified the driver of the motorcycle as 50-year-old Michael Hamilton of Lakeland. He and his passenger, 46-year-old Jeana Wright were killed when the motorcycle they were on slammed into the side of a Honda Odyssey van, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
The 79-year-old woman driving the van was taken to the hospital where she remains in stable condition. A 20-year-old passenger in the van was not injured.
According to the sheriff's office, this all began when detectives flagged the motorcycle's registration.
Just after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff's detectives reportedly attempted a traffic stop on Hamilton on Old Dixie Highway and Berkley Road when they realized the tag registration didn't match the motorcycle. Once detectives activated their emergency lights, Hamilton accelerated.
Detectives realized he was attempting to flee from law enforcement and they "deactivated the emergency equipment and discontinued efforts to stop him," according to the sheriff's office.
"Two witnesses confirmed that the motorcycle passed them at a high rate of speed, and there were no law enforcement vehicles or emergency lights in sight, and they heard no sirens," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
Hamilton continued at a high rate of speed, authorities say, and crashed into the van at the intersection of Oak Crossing Boulevard when the 79-year-old driver began to turn left onto Berkley Road.
"Detectives recognized right away that Hamilton was being reckless, so they disengaged. He fled from law enforcement one time too many; this time it cost him his life," Judd added. "Had Hamilton survived the crash, he would have been charged with the death of his passenger."
Hamilton had an extensive arrest history, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in the news release. Of the arrests, there were two convictions of fleeing to elude law enforcement.
Hamilton's driver's license is currently revoked — he had no motorcycle endorsement —and had 15 previous license suspensions, the agency said. Much of his prior criminal history includes traffic violations, including multiple arrests for grand theft of a motor vehicle.
The intersection of Oak Crossing Boulevard and Berkley Road was reportedly closed throughout the majority of the evening but reopened after around 8 p.m.