Florida

Motorcyclist's Death-Defying Stunt Saves Him in Car Crash

A motorcyclist walked away from an accident relatively unscathed after a near-death car accident sent him cartwheeling over a vehicle in the middle of a busy intersection.

Mike Smith was riding his motorcycle in Clearwater, Florida, when he was hit by a car, prompting him to eject himself into the air. He landed on his feet uninjured, but slightly stunned.

A red light video at the intersection caught the acrobatic spectacle on May 24. In it, the driver of a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant is seen turning left in front of Smith, 22, and then colliding with him and totaling his motorcycle.

β€œHe's just waiting in the middle of the intersection. I'm coming up Belcher,” Smith told WFLA in an interview. β€œHe's making a left on Gulf to Bay. He just comes out. He just comes out of nowhere.”

Smith, a server at the local IHOP, was not wearing a helmet that day. He walked away from the crash with a scuffed elbow, hand, leg and back.

"That guy could have killed me that day. Real talk," he said.

On Thursday Smith was buying a new motorcycle in Largo, Florida, and said he plans to be more careful on the road but still won't wear a helmet.

β€œI'm not gonna lie. I was a little scared hopping on that one today," Smith said. "But I think I'm back to normal.”

Clearwater Police cited the driver of the car, Alex Jay Hall, 27, for an improper left turn, and driving with a suspended license.

Police gave Smith a ticket for not having a motorcycle endorsement, which allows a driver to operate a motorcycle on public streets.

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