THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 11, 1996 TAG: 9611110071
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: METRO BRIEFS
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 24 lines
A motorcyclist died Sunday afternoon when he lost control and was thrown onto the pavement, police said.
He fell in the path of an oncoming car but was not struck. Instead, the driver of the car - an off-duty police officer - swerved into a median light pole trying to avoid the cyclist.
The name of the motorcyclist, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was not released pending notification of his family.
The police officer, Cosimo ``Gus'' P. Simonetti, 52, an 8-year veteran of the department, was treated at a hospital and released.
The accident occurred at 3:36 p.m. at a curve on Ferrell Parkway westbound between Pleasant Valley Road and Indian Lakes Boulevard.
Police said the 1996 Kawasaki motorcycle was traveling at high speed when Simonetti began following it in hopes of getting a license plate number. Before he could catch up, however, the cycle hit a guardrail.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC FATALITY by CNB