Motorcyclist launched from bike when his girlfriend hits him with truck, Florida cops say

A woman driving a pickup truck while impaired struck her boyfriend from behind, launching him from his motorcycle, according to Florida police.

The 39-year-old woman was “chasing” her boyfriend just before 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 down a road in Tarpon Springs, according to an arrest affidavit from the Tarpon Springs Police Department.

She was driving recklessly at a “high rate of speed” to keep up with him, the affidavit says.

At one point, he tried to slow down before a stop sign, but she struck him from behind, according to police.

He was “launched from the impact” and suffered injuries to his back and head that were considered life-threatening, the affidavit says. Medics took him to a nearby hospital for treatment as a trauma patient.

Investigators saw the woman driving the pickup truck had “bloodshot, watery eyes” and poor balance, the affidavit says.

She was arrested and charged with driving under the influence with serious bodily injury, according to Pinellas County Jail records.

She was released on a $5,000 bond, jail records show.

Tarpon Springs is about 30 miles northwest of Tampa.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Motorcyclist launched from bike when his girlfriend hits him with truck, Florida cops say."