Man injured when motorcycle hits 10-foot gator in Florida

motorcycle-hits-gator

This photo provided by the Florida Highway Patrol shows an alligator that was crossing a rural Florida road and was hit by 27-year-old Calun Nelson who was riding a motorcycle, throwing him from his bike, Friday, May 19, 2017, in Wimauma, Fla. The Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release that Nelson was riding his motorcycle south of Tampa early Friday when he saw the more than 10-foot (3.05-meter) alligator crossing the road in front of him. He tried to avoid the gator, but couldn't. (Florida Highway Patrol via AP)

motorcycle-hits-gator

WIMAUMA, Fla. (AP) — A man riding a motorcycle hit an alligator that was crossing a rural Florida road, throwing him from his bike.

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release that 27-year-old Calun Nelson was riding his motorcycle south of Tampa early Friday when he saw the more than 10-foot (3.05-meter) alligator crossing the road in front of him. He tried to avoid the gator, but couldn’t.

Troopers say Nelson was taken to a Tampa hospital with serious injuries.

Television station WFLA (http://bit.ly/2qZlm6s ) reports an alligator trapper was called to retrieve the gator’s body.

It’s the second accident this week in Florida involving an alligator. On Tuesday a driver on Interstate 75 escaped serious injury when she hit an alligator near Sarasota.