A Villages High School student was caught up in an accident Saturday night that claimed the lives of an Ohio couple on a motorcycle.
Michael L. Hardesty, 37, and Kristin L. Conn, 32, both of Chillicothe, Ohio, had been riding a 1996 Harley-Davidson motorcycle at 11:03 p.m. northbound at Mile Marker 275 on Interstate 75 in Pasco County, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The motorcycle had no taillight and was rear-ended by a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by 18-year-old Jennifer Bui of Wesley Chapel, who could not see the motorcycle. The collision pushed the motorcycle into the path of a 2017 Honda Accord driven by 16-year-old Kathy Nguyen of Oxford and a member of the Class of 2018 at the Villages High School. She suffered minor injuries.
The motorcycle was also struck by a 2000 Lexus driven by Stephen A. Horn, 52, of Harrisonburg, Va.
Conn died at the scene of the accident. Hardesty was transported to Wesley Chapel Hospital where he died of injuries suffered in the crash. Neither Conn or Hardesty had been wearing helmets, the FHP report noted.
Portions of the roadway were closed through 6:15 a.m. Sunday.