The importance of helmet used has been instilled on many of our minds since childhood. This lifesaving piece of equipment has saved countless lives and has been credited for diverting many injuries. Yet, bicycle and motorcycle riders still hedge at donning their helmets before hitting the highways and byways of our cities.

Readers in Gainesville, Florida, recently learned that a motorcyclist's crash with a child on a bicycle in Palatka proved fatal. According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the 40-year-old motorcyclist was riding a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle when the collision occurred.

Reports state that when the man entered the intersection, the child's back tire was struck by the motorcycle. As is the case with many victims injured in motorcycle or bike accidents, the child was thrown to the road along with the motorcyclist.

Reports made by the FHP stated that the two riders were riding on the road without a helmet. For this Elkton man, this precautionary measure might have saved his life.

The motorcyclist was declared dead at a nearby hospital. The injured boy was listed as a critical patient at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. An update of his condition is not available at this time.

Public investigators are currently gathering facts and evaluating if the use of alcohol contributed to the cause of this accident. Because the details of the accident are still being pieced together it is unclear who was responsible for the cause of the accident.

Whenever accidents like this tragedy occur, it is important for the victim and/or the victim's family to obtain the facts in the crash. Gainesville residents who have been injured in a bicycle or motorcycle accident may benefit from a personal injury attorney's evaluation to determine if there is a viable claim against any at-fault parties.

Source: StAugustine.com, "Elkton man dies in motorcycle crash," Jan. 17, 2012