Motorcycle riders seriously injured in crash on US 41 north of Palmetto, FHP says

A motorcycle driver and passenger from Ruskin were seriously injured in a crash on U.S. 41 in Manatee County late Saturday morning, Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release Sunday.

The wreck happened at 11:22 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. 41 and 61st Street East, north of Palmetto.

Troopers say the motorcycle was traveling south on U.S. 41. A 54-year-old Ruskin man was driving and a 53-year-old Ruskin woman was in the passenger’s seat.

A van was stopped at a stop sign on 61st Street. The driver then entered U.S. 41, directly in the path of the oncoming motorcycle, FHP said.

The motorcycle hit the right front side of the van.

The motorcycle rider and passenger were taken to an area hospital with serious injuries.

A 25-year-old Plant City man who was driving the van and a 38-year-old Brandon man in a passenger’s seat were uninjured, troopers say.

The crash remained under investigation on Sunday morning.