Ahead of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day ride, several law enforcement agencies are reminding residents that it is illegal to ride certain motorbikes on paved roads.
Police say riders could face up to a $100 fine and possible criminal charges, saying there are other properties across the county for motor enthusiasts to ride freely.
"The Miami Motorcross Park is one private place they can ride, there's Big Cypress National Reserve has some areas you can ride,” said Miami-Dade Police Maj. Hector Llevat. "I ask those that want to ride to do their research. Go online, the Department of Agriculture has a map to show you where you can ride on public land."
The renewed call comes after a man on an ATV died on the Palmetto Expressway. The Florida Highway Patrol says the driver lost control and was ejected from the ATV Sunday afternoon.
“The bottom line is it's not worth it and it's one of the things we've been asking our community and our social media sites: is it worth it," Llevat said.
According to FHP, no cars were involved in the accident. It appears the ATV rider was heading south with a group of other riders. Authorities shut down three southbound lanes of the expressway near Northwest 103rd Street, causing major traffic delays.
The rider was later identified as 20-year-old Ramon Jose Hernandez Acevedo. An FHP report said he was "possibly doing stunts" and wasn't wearing any protective gear or a helmet.
Local
The Miami-Dade traffic homicide unit says since 2013, they've investigated 108 motorcycle, dirt bike, or ATV crashes – with 77 of them fatal.
