Two people killed in tragic motorcycle crash on Plantation Boulevard in North Port
NORTH PORT, Fla. (WWSB) - Two people died after a motorcycle crashed into a tree on Saturday evening in North Port off of Plantation and Panacea Boulevards. The driver, 30-year-old Cody Bunch, was pronounced dead at the scene, and 26-year-old Jenny Lenzini, a news reporter in Fort Myers, was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital but later died from her injuries. This tragic accident has impacted the entire Southwest Florida community.
“Obviously this changes you as a person. I mean my entire world was just turned upside down.” Erika Jackson, our former colleague here at ABC7, explains to us. She was the longtime girlfriend of Cody Bunch.
“We were planning out next move in a couple of months. We were looking at houses. Now, he’s not here,” expressed Erika.
She was also a good friend of Jenny Lenzini. Erika and jenny were both news reporters in Charlotte County. That’s where she met Jenny and formed a great friendship between the three of them.
“Everyone who met jenny hit it off with her instantly,” said Erika.
Jenny and a few other friends were over Erika & Cody’s home in North Port on Saturday watching their favorite team play - the Miami Hurricanes.
It was shortly after the game ended that Cody took Jenny for a ride on his new BMW motorcycle that he got just a few weeks back for his birthday.
“Cody died doing what he loved. He was known for his love for jeeps, his bat mobile and motorcycle, and I find comfort in knowing that he told me right before when we had all our friends over that this is what he loves. It was the best day ever… and then it turned into the worst day,” Erika expressed.
Erika says Cody was an experienced motorcycle driver - and had driven down this same street almost every day - but no one would have ever imagined that it would have been his last.
“They were both wearing helmets, seemingly taken the safety precautions. It is just unbelievably sad. You had two people who had their whole lives ahead of them. The impact has been felt even more just based off who they are and they’re standing in the community, and the reaction that that has caused,” Josh Taylor, the Public Information Officer for the North Port Police Department, said.
Especially for Erika - who says she is still in shock and trying to process how this could have happened, but plans on keeping their memories alive for everyone around her.
“I hope hearing about Cody’s kindness and Jenny’s love for life will inspire other to truly not take any moment for granted,” expressed Erika.
Police confirm no other cars or people were involved, so there are no charges to be filed. However, North Port police say they are still investigating exactly how this crash happened to be able to provide closure for the families.
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