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St. Pete police officer involved in crash with motorcycle, rider critically injured: SPPD

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Published  May 1, 2026 10:20pm EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News
article

The Brief

    • A St. Petersburg police officer and a motorcyclist were involved in a crash Friday night at 54th Avenue North and 16th Street North.
    • The motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Orlando Bayfront Hospital.
    • The officer sustained minor injuries; the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg police officer was involved in a crash with a motorcycle Friday night that left the rider with life-threatening injuries, according to the St. Pete Police Department.

What we know:

Police say the crash happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of 54th Avenue North and 16th Street North.

Officer Richard Thomas was heading westbound on 54th Avenue North towards 16th Street North in a police cruiser when he attempted to make a left turn.

The motorcycle crashed into the front passenger side of the cruiser.

According to investigators, the motorcyclist was taken to Orlando Bayfront Hospital with serious injuries. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The police officer involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and was also taken to Orlando Bayfront Hospital.

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet said what led to the crash.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the St. Petersburg Police Department.

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