A Pinellas County sheriff's corporal in an unmarked sheriff's cruiser was involved in a serious traffic accident in St. Petersburg Tuesday night, authorities said.
According to investigators, Pinellas County sheriff's Cpl. Joe Miner was driving a 2011 Buick LaCrosse unmarked cruiser about 7:40 p.m. He pulled out of a business at 6132 Martin Luther King St. N. and began to cross the road to head northbound.
At the same time, a 2005 Honda motorcycle was traveling southbound on MLK Street North. When the Buick entered the path of the motorcycle, the cyclist, Eli Ulibarri, 20, of St. Petersburg, struck the driver's side of Miner's vehicle.
Ulibarri attempted to avoid the collision and locked up his brakes, causing the bike to slide into the side of the vehicle, a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office news release states.
Ulibarri was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Miner was uninjured.
The release states it does not appear that speed or impairment are factors in the crash.
Deputies assigned to the sheriff's major accident investigation team are investigating the incident.
