Motorcycle Victim ID'd: Jeffrey Valarezo of Delray

WARNING: This article contains photos that may upset some readers. If you don’t want to see them, don’t scroll down.

A fatal motorcycle accident backed up traffic on Palmetto Park Road and horrified drivers passing by on Monday evening.

Reader photo looking westbound on Palmetto Park Road.

Sources led us to think we knew who the victim was and the Sheriff’s office just confirmed it was Jeffrey Valarezo (20) of Bolero Circle in Delray Beach.
We think Mr. Valarezo may have been a student at Spanish River High in the past, but we’re not sure. We also think his family may be from the country Ecuador. He was registered to vote here in Florida.
One reader told us she saw it happen:

There was no driver at fault: I saw what happened. He was on the lane next to me going the opposite direction. He just tried to switch from the middle lane to the right hand lane right at that curve right before the bridge and he lost control. I saw it all and I haven’t stopped crying because I’m still in shock that I just witnessed this.

From this reader it appears Mr. Valarezo was traveling eastbound on Palmetto Park Road coming up to the bridge over Boca Rio and the Turnpike. The police report does not provide much detail as to how the accident happened or if anyone was at fault.

V-1 was traveling eastbound on W. Palmetto Park Road approaching Boca Rio Road. V-1 struck the center median. D-1 lost control of the vehicle and came to final rest on the median. D-1 was ejected off V-1 and struck a tree. D-1 died on the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.

Valarezo’s motorcycle ended up in the median of the roadway.

WARNING: This is where the photos get more troubling for some readers. Stop now if this bothers you.
SERIOUSLY — IF THIS BOTHERS YOU, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN



Further west his body lay on the ground near a tree. Not long after it happened several passers by attended to his body in the hope they might be able to help.

Later the body was obscured by a yellow covering:

Friends of Mr. Valarezo expressed their sadness:

He was a beautiful soul with a smile always on his face. He was loved by all his friends and he will be missed.

He was an amazing person and didn’t deserve what happened to him, even if it were his fault or another. Today heaven gained an angel and he will be riding in the skies smiling down at us. You will be greatly missed Jeff

We noticed expressions of concern from a wide variety of places including Ecuador, Cuba, South Africa and more.
This location on Palmetto Park Road has seen many serious accidents. Readers complained that something should be done to make it safer, though it’s not clear what caused this accident or that any change to the roadway would have prevented it.
It should be also noted that Mr. Valarezo was wearing a helmet.

Luis Gonzalez-Vinces Killed in Motorcycle Accident

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The Palm Beach Sheriff today reported a fatal accident in Boynton Beach. According to the report, Luis Gonzalez-Vinces, a 20-year-old from West Boca, was killed last night when his motorcycle collided with a car near the Turnpike interchange at Boynton Beach Blvd. It is our understanding that he was a graduate of Olympic Heights, though he may have gone to Spanish River.

V1 (Gonzalez-Vinces) was traveling westbound on Boynton Beach Boulevard in the 8200 block at a high rate of speed. V2 was traveling eastbound on Boynton Beach Boulevard and attempted to turn left to head north on the FL Turnpike’s southbound on ramp. The driver of V2 did not see V1 and V1 violently struck the front passenger side of V2. V1 rotated clockwise and its rear struck the passenger side rear of V2. The driver of V2 was pronounced deceased on scene by PBFR.

Gonzalez-Vinces was a resident of the 9000 block of Boca Gardens Trail. Boca Gardens is on the east side of 441 south of Clint Moore and across from Boca Chase.

9000 block of Boca Gardens Trail; image by Google
9000 block of Boca Gardens Trail; image by Google

His Luis Gonzalez Facebook page is filling up with posts from friends who have learned of his passing.
luis-gonzalez-vinces-rip
West Boca News extends our best wishes to his family and friends.
The full report from the Sheriff is below. Please note that the report incorrectly states that the driver of V2 passed away. The Sheriff’s e-mail advised of that mistake. Also the accident is indicated to have happened at 9 pm on Friday.
acc-report

Motorcyclist Killed Friday on Lyons Road

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A collision Friday between a 2015 Cadillac and a 2012 Yamaha motorcycle claimed the life of Ara Kamciyan (age 27). Both drivers were residents of Timbers of Boca on the west side of Lyons Road south of Glades. The accident occurred at the entrance to the development.

Lyons Road at Escondido; image and map data by Google.
Lyons Road at Escondido; image and map data by Google.

According to police report Dolores McCabe (age 72) made a left turn into the neighborhood. Kamciyan was coming the other direction (southbound). As a result of the collision his head hit her windshield, and he was not wearing a helmet.
In the police description V-1 is McCabe’s car and V-2 is Kamciyan’s motorcycle:

V-1 was northbound on Lyons Road in the left turn lane. V-2 was southbound on Lyons Road in the outside through lane. V-1 turned into the path of V-2, resulting in the front of V-2 impacting with the passenger’s side of V-1 near the front. D-2 was ejected from his vehicle and him head impacted with the front windshield before he fell to the ground. D-2 was not wearing a helmet. He was transported to Delray Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Kamciyan co-owned a pool and spa business in Fort Lauderdale.
West Boca News reported the accident shortly after it happened on our Facebook page, thanks to a volunteer.
kamciyan-alert
Ordinarily in a collision like this fault would be placed on the driver making the left turn. It is unfortunately common that drivers do not notice motorcycles. At the same time there may be other reasons the accident happened. The police report does not indicate fault.
report-kamciyan
On the legal side, Florida law is quirky when it comes to wrongful death cases. It may be difficult for the family to recover.

Boca High Grad Killed in Motorcycle Accident

Seth Dierksen
Seth Dierksen

An early morning motorcycle accident on Spanish River Blvd claimed the life of Boca High graduate Seth Dierksen, age 22. From the report it appears to have been near the entrance to the FAU campus at roughly 4 am this morning.


From the Boca Raton Police Department:
Officers with the Boca Raton Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Unit are investigating a fatal crash, which happened this morning at 3:57 a.m., in the 800 block of NW Spanish River Boulevard.
The operator of a 2011 Kawasaki motorcycle was traveling east on NW Spanish River Boulevard when he collided with a 2007 International 18-wheeler truck. The operator of the motorcycle died at the scene.
If you have information about this crash, please call Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Daly at (561) 620-6081.
2011 Kawasaki Motorcycle:
Seth Clayton Dierksen
22 years old
Boca Raton, FL
Injury: Fatal
2007 International Truck:
William Grinslade
43 years old
Winter Haven, FL
Injury: None

Hit and Run at 441 & Kimberly? Victim Identiified

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Late last night we learned there had been a serious accident at the intersection of 441 and New England, which is between Glades and Yamato at the north end of Boca Greens plaza.

The initial report we had just before 11:30 pm was:

New England Blvd & State Road 7 — PBCFR station 54 on-scene of a motorcyclist hit by a van that fled the scene, advising Priority-1 Trauma Alert to Delray Medical Center by ground, suspect vehicle is a silver van Hispanic male driver — Tac 4A

Shortly thereafter we had an update:

State Road 7 will be shut down, both directions, from Yamato Rd to Kimberly Blvd for a couple hours at least, for an active Traffic Homicide Investigation

This morning we received an update from the Sheriff. Their report did not mention the van or anything else about a hit and run.

V-1 was westbound on New England Boulevard, approaching US Highway 441 in the right turn lane. V-1 made a heavy braking application before reaching the intersection, which resulted in the vehicle overturning onto its right side. The motorcycle slid through the intersection on its side and came to rest on the west side of US 441, within the westbound lanes of Boca Green (Entrance to a gas station). The operator of the motorcycle was not wearing a helmet and was ejected from the motorcycle. He was transported to Delray Medical Center for treatment.

New England is the north side of Boca Greens plaza, and it is where the gas station is located.
They did identify the motorcycle driver as James Andrew Bishop, age 20, a resident of The Colony in Delray Beach. He is an Olympic Heights graduate.

James Andrew Bishop
James Andrew Bishop

Friends of Mr. Bishop gave us an update on his injuries:

He’s in the Trauma ICU at the Delray Medical Center in critical condition. Skull fractures and a few other head injuries.

Note that the PBSO report indicated Mr. Bishop was in serious condition, rather than critical.
There are a couple of discrepancies in the story that we can’t resolve at this point. We checked with our contact at PBSO who had also initially heard about a van leaving the scene and did not know why it’s not in the report. The way the report is written suggests that there was no van involved.
We’re not sure why but we see a lot of accidents in this area. Last May there was another motorcycle accident there. And there was a fatal accident very close to this in the southbound lanes in August.
crash-close-lighter
Just north of this at Yamato there was a rollover accident in November.
rollover-rosolen