Questions raised after fatal motorcycle crash listed as COVID-19 death – what a joke it all is

ORLANDO, Fla. – (UPDATE) On Saturday, Kent Donahue, from Dr. Pino’s office, said the motorcyclist’s death “was reviewed and he was taken off the list for COVID fatalities.”

Two days after a FOX 35 investigation, health officials confirm that a motorcycle death that was initially counted among COVID-19 fatalities has been removed from the state’s data. 

A spokesman for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said it was reviewed and removed, but he didn’t know exactly when. 

FOX 35 began investigating this on Thursday after Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino said that a man who had coronavirus but died in a motorcycle crash had been added to the COVID death data. 

At the time, he said he had asked the state to remove it from its numbers, but he didn’t know if it ever was. 

After reporting on this Thursday and Friday, officials notified FOX 35 on Saturday that they verified the death is no longer being counted.

(OLDER STORY VERSION) A person who died in a motorcycle accident was added to Florida’s COVID-19 death count, according to a state health official.

FOX 35 News found this out after asking Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino whether two coronavirus victims who were in their 20s had any underlying conditions. One of his answers surprised us. 

“The first one didn’t have any. He died in a motorcycle accident,” Pino said.

Dr. Pino was asked if the man’s data was removed.

Read More: FOX 35 INVESTIGATES: Questions raised after fatal motorcycle crash listed as COVID-19 death