Marine, friend die in motorcycle crash

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

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A U.S. Marine, Michael Musto was home on leave from Iraq. He was 19 years old.

CITRUS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A Citrus County man who survived war and a gunshot wound died Monday night from injuries suffered in a weekend motorcycle crash.

Michael Musto was a U.S. Marine on leave from Iraq. His family said they are comforted by the fact that he at least died closer to home.

"We all told him we loved him and I know he heard us," said Michael's mother, Andrea Musto. "So I guess in that respect, I'm thankful it was here."

After Musto returned home last month, he was shot by a hitchhiker after he tried to give the man money.

On Sunday night, 19-year-old Musto was in Inverness riding his motorcycle with 16-year-old Amber Dye. The two crashed into a pick up truck pulling a trailer at North Croft Avenue and East Dawson Drive.

Both riders were ejected from the motorcycle and were taken to Citrus Memorial Hospital. Neither was wearing a helmet when they crashed.

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Dye died of her injuries there within an hour.

"She was a beautiful, beautiful girl, she was bubbly," said Amber's mother, Audra Dye. "Everybody loved her, she was very sociable. It's a waste of a life."

The crash occurred shortly after a Citrus County Sheriff's deputy attempted to stop Musto for speeding on State Road 44. The deputy said Musto was going 80 mph.

Musto was transported to Shands Hospital in Gainesville. He died there Monday night from injuries sustained in the crash.