Updated at 11:35 a.m. – A 35-year-old Virginia man on a motorcycle died Wednesday morning after a collision with a Ride On bus near the Medical Center Metro station in Bethesda.
Police said Francis G. Plati, Jr., of Stafford, Virginia, was operating his 2001 Suzuki motorcycle on southbound Rockville Pike when a Ride On bus traveling north turned left onto South Drive.
Police said detectives are still investigating why the bus, driven by 59-year-old Hyggins Charles of Silver Spring, and the motorcycle collided.
The incident happened just before 6:15 a.m. at the intersection of South Drive and Rockville Pike, in front of the Metro station, NIH and Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Plati was transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police said there were no passengers on the Ride On bus at the time of the collision.
Police reopened the all lanes of Rockville Pike just after 10:30 a.m. after an investigation into the collision. The closure of the major road caused a major traffic back-up on southbound Rockville Pike.
This story will be updated.
Scene of terrible ax motorcycle v bus in front of NIH/Walter Reed. 355 closed in this area. More at 7a @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/lL3aBFjzt8
— Bob Barnard (@barnardfox5dc) November 4, 2015
