North Marion High School student killed in two-vehicle wreck on foggy, rural road

Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner
·4 min read

FLEMINGTON − A North Marion High School student who was riding his dirt bike Tuesday morning died after the bike and a car collided on a foggy, rural road in northwest Marion.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the student was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville for treatment. That is where he died.

Family members at the scene of the crash identified the victim as 18-year-old James Wilkerson of Flemington. The family said Wilkerson attended North Marion High. School officials said Wilkerson was in the 11th grade.

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Wilkerson's family reacts to the tragedy

A picture of James Wilkerson
A picture of James Wilkerson

"He was a good boy," said Ed Williamson, a cousin.

Wilkerson's uncle, David Perry, said his nephew loved riding his bike.

"That was his life. That's all he cared about," Perry said.

The uncle said Wilkerson would ride his bike to his home, leave it there, and then take the bus to school. When the bus dropped him off in the neighborhood, he would return to his home and get his bike.

James Wilkerson and his dirt bike
James Wilkerson and his dirt bike

Wilkerson lived roughly a quarter of a mile away from the crash site, which was in front of an open, grassy lot in the 17600 block of Northwest 100th Avenue.

FHP explains what happened

According to FHP troopers, the driver of a Honda Civic was traveling slow in the southbound lane of Northwest 100th Avenue about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The driver said she was driving slow because it was foggy.

She told officials the bike suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and the two vehicles collided. Troopers said Wilkerson was northbound on the same roadway.

An FHP trooper inspects the Honda Civic that was involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Flemington that claimed the life of James Wilkerson, a North Marion High School student.
An FHP trooper inspects the Honda Civic that was involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Flemington that claimed the life of James Wilkerson, a North Marion High School student.

Law enforcement officials said the bike burst into flames. A school bus, traveling north, arrived at the scene. Troopers said the bus driver, a woman, did not see the crash, but grabbed a fire extinguisher and was able to douse the flames.

The car, with significant front-end damage, was left in the roadway. The bike was in the open lot.

Marion County Fire Rescue spokesman James Lucas said his agency was assigned the crash at 8:30 a.m. and arrived at 8:40 a.m. Lucas said a trauma code was called at 8:42 a.m.

FHP troopers said this dirt bike was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday that claimed the life of the rider.
FHP troopers said this dirt bike was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday that claimed the life of the rider.

Remembering James Wilkerson

The Civic driver, who was emotional, told a Star-Banner reporter that she's praying for the family. Officials said she's 32, and has a Reddick address. There was a male passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash, officials said. Neither was injured.

The victim's family and friends gathered at the crash site, hugging and consoling each other. They said Wilkerson was born and raised in Flemington.

At NMHS, those who knew Wilkerson remembered him as gregarious and friendly.

James Wilkerson
James Wilkerson

“James was a student that would bring a smile to my face just by seeing him. He was so fun loving and could get a laugh from anyone. He is going to be greatly missed, as he met no strangers on this campus,” said English teacher Julia Rolle.

Principal Carol Sales said: “James was a fun-loving, respectful young man who made a positive impact on our students. He will be missed for many reasons.”

Deaths of other Marion County juveniles

Wilkerson is one of several Marion County students or juveniles who have been killed in recent crashes either in the county or nearby.

On New Year's Eve, 17-year-old Omari Samuel of Ocala, an 11th grade student at Forest High School, lost her life in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 in Alachua County. Three other people, including 17-year-old twin sisters Jada and Jaelyn Weems, were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

In December, Mason Meyers died when the ATV he was riding overturned on him. He was 10, and from Dunnellon.

An 11-year-old Ocala boy and a 40-year-old man were both killed on Florida's Turnpike in Sumter County when their vehicle was hit by another vehicle just days before Christmas, FHP troopers said.

Authorities said the vehicle the victims were riding in overturned multiple times.

Last year, 99 people died in traffic crashes in Marion County, according to FHP officials. The number does not include figures from the cities of Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Dirt bike and car crash on rural, foggy road; student, 18, killed