WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 24-year-old motorcyclist was killed Monday night when his motorcycle struck the passenger side of a Tesla making a left turn at a West Palm Beach-area intersection. Now, investigators are asking witnesses to come forward with video — including footage showing the traffic signals.
The crash happened about 8:20 p.m. November 9 at Forest Hill Boulevard and Pinehurst Drive. According to information from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported by BocaNewsNow.com, Nathaniel Perlman was riding a 2020 Kawasaki eastbound on Forest Hill Boulevard. An 84-year-old Lake Worth man driving a 2026 Tesla westbound in the left-turn lane began turning south onto Pinehurst Drive. The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the Tesla.
Perlman was wearing a helmet but died from his injuries. The Tesla driver was not injured. The initial sheriff’s office report listed no charges.
Investigators want video of the intersection
Investigators are seeking witnesses and video from the intersection, especially footage showing the traffic signals. Video could help establish which direction had the right of way, the signal phase when each vehicle entered the intersection and how the collision unfolded.
The publicly reported information does not establish the motorcycle’s speed, the traffic signal phase at impact or whether either driver violated a traffic law. The investigation will need to answer those questions before fault can be determined.
The lethal left turn: one of motorcycling’s deadliest crash patterns
This tragedy highlights a danger riders know all too well: a vehicle turning left across the path of an oncoming motorcycle. Research published in Traffic Injury Prevention and summarized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that left-turning vehicles accounted for 26% of fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes in its 2017–2021 analysis. It was the most frequent crash type in that study.
Federal crash data show the same danger. In 2022, 1,436 of 3,268 fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle — 44% — involved the other vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing or overtaking. That statistic applies to fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes in that dataset, not all motorcycle crashes.
Why does it happen so often? Drivers may fail to see a motorcycle, misjudge its speed or distance, or believe they have enough time to complete a turn. A motorcycle’s smaller profile can make it harder to detect in traffic. Once a vehicle crosses the rider’s path, there may be very little time or room to avoid impact.
These national statistics do not establish what caused the West Palm Beach crash. They show why left-turn conflicts remain a major safety concern for motorcyclists.
More deadly left-turn motorcycle crashes reported this week
The Tesla crash is not an isolated example. Several other fatal motorcycle crashes involving left-turning vehicles were reported around the country in recent days. Each investigation is different, and preliminary accounts do not necessarily establish final fault, but together they underscore how often riders face this danger:
- Valhalla, New York — November 3: A 48-year-old Ardsley motorcyclist, Gianfranco Petruolo, died after a vehicle turned left from Zeiss Drive onto Columbus Avenue and the motorcycle struck the car. Police said speed may have been a factor on the motorcyclist’s part. Read the News 12 report.
- Sebastian, Florida — November 9: A 58-year-old motorcyclist died after Florida Highway Patrol said an SUV driver made an improper left turn into the motorcycle’s path on 37th Street. Read the Vero News report.
- Las Vegas, Nevada — November 9: A motorcyclist was killed when a Honda CR-V making a left turn at Blue Diamond Road and Kulka Road entered the motorcycle’s path, according to police. The crash remains under investigation. Read the Las Vegas Review-Journal report.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado — November 9: Police said a truck turning left from Airport Road onto Ruskin Drive collided with a westbound motorcycle. The rider died at the scene. Read the KKTV report.
These incidents occurred in different states and remain subject to their own investigations. They are examples of the recurring left-turn hazard, not evidence that the same circumstances or fault findings apply in every crash.
Was the Tesla using Autopilot or Full Self-Driving?
The vehicle has been reported as a 2026 Tesla, but the exact model has not been publicly identified in the reports reviewed for this story. There is also no public confirmation that Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was engaged. That question remains unanswered, and there is no evidence currently available to say a Tesla driver-assistance system caused or contributed to this crash.
If investigators obtain vehicle data, it could potentially help establish whether driver-assistance features were active. Tesla’s driver-assistance features do not make a vehicle fully autonomous; the driver remains responsible for operating it.
Witnesses asked to contact investigators
Anyone with information or video of the crash or the traffic signals at Forest Hill Boulevard and Pinehurst Drive is asked to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at 561-688-3400 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS. The reported case number is 26-109920.
Drivers: look twice before turning
Drivers should check carefully for motorcycles before turning left and wait until the entire path is clear. Riders can approach intersections expecting that a vehicle may turn across their lane, cover the brakes and preserve an escape route when possible. Defensive riding cannot prevent every crash, but awareness from everyone on the road matters.
Motorcycle crash? Know where to find help
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a motorcycle crash, visit the TVBikerDad Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help page to learn about finding an attorney.
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Sources: BocaNewsNow.com — investigators seek video and witnesses; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — left-turn crashes and motorcycle safety; NHTSA — Motorcycles: 2022 Data; News 12; Vero News; Las Vegas Review-Journal; KKTV.