A Putnam County Corrections Officer is Dead After He was Involved in a Motorcycle Crash, According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Corrections Captain Mark Elam, an 18-year employee with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, was riding his motorcycle to work Friday morning around 6 a.m. when he collided with a van in the San Mateo area, the sheriff’s office said. He was taken to Putnam Community Medical Center, where he died.
Following Elam’s death, members of the sheriff’s office and the Palatka Police Department escorted his body to the St. Johns County line to the medical examiner’s office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. The post thanked the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with an escort through the county to St. Augustine.
“Elam was scheduled for promotion to Captain in May to fill the second-highest position in the jail,” the Facebook post says. “Earlier this morning, Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach posthumously promoted Elam to the position of Captain and informed his family.”
Elam served the Putnam County Jail for 18 years, after serving four years in the United States Marine Corps, the sheriff’s office said. He is survived by his wife and two sons, and he and his wife were in the process of adopting a sibling group of five children, according to the sheriff’s office.
The post included several officers’ fond remembrances of Elam.
“If you were wrong, he’d tell you that you were wrong, but he would help you fix the problem,” Sgt. Clayton Silva said. “He didn’t mince his words, but he never left anyone behind. He was a great person, a great supervisor.”
According to an FHP report, a blue Harley Davidson Electra Glide was traveling northbound on US-17 in the left lane. Troopers say around the same time, a white Ford Transit Van was stopped at the stop sign eastbound on N Boundary Road and then attempted to cross over the northbound lanes of US-17 to access the southbound lanes.
The Harley Davidson struck the Ford Transit Van on the left front and the rider was ejected from the motorcycle, says FHP.
He was not wearing a helmet, according to the report.
Comment from Anidjar and Levine:
Marc Anidjar, from the Law Firm of Anidjar and Levine, comments on this crash. “A Putnam Country corrections officer is dead after this unfortunate accident on Daniels Parkway near the San Mateo. Our condolence goes to the families of the injured. Injuries sustained in a motorcycle or vehicle accident can affect the lives of all parties involved and their families who feel the effects even when they are not directly involved. The pain and suffering that comes with these incidents can become a major burden on day-to-day life.”
In an Accident? The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Can Help.
For more information please contact us.
Call the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine at (800) 747-3733 for a free consultation.
