HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Tragedy struck on Friday night as a motorcyclist lost his life in a fatal head-on collision involving an SUV on State Road 39 in Hillsborough County, as reported by the state police.

According to the authorities, the deceased motorcyclist, a 27-year-old man from Auburndale, was traveling at an excessive speed in a northbound direction on SR-39 when the accident occurred just before 9 p.m.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the motorcyclist made an ill-fated attempt to overtake multiple vehicles traveling in the same direction within a designated no-passing zone. It was during this unlawful maneuver that the collision transpired, involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee heading south on SR-39.

In the aftermath of the collision, the force of impact caused the motorcycle to overturn, subsequently colliding with a guardrail and erupting into flames. The rider was forcefully ejected down an adjacent embankment, as detailed by the authorities.

Tragically, the motorcyclist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV, a 17-year-old boy from Plant City, along with several teenage passengers, suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision.

The authorities have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision. Further details will be released as the investigation progresses.