A retired mail carrier died on Aug. 3 in a Dent County accident on Highway 68 near Route U. The fatal accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. Motorcycle accidents involving a collision with a truck or other large vehicle rarely end well. The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the scene of this crash.
Reportedly, the 73-year-old was driving his motorcycle north on the highway with his wife, also 73, as a passenger. A driver of an eastbound pickup truck tried to cross the highway but pulled into the path of the motorcycle. The motorcycle crashed into the pickup on the passenger’s side. Both bike riders were wearing protective head gear.
The injured man was transported to Salem Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. His wife was transported by flight to Mercy Hospital St. Louis with serious injuries. The 16-year-old pickup driver was also taken to Salem Memorial Hospital, though his injuries were not thought to be serious.
Whether in Missouri or elsewhere, motorcycle accidents are often much worse than other types of vehicle crashes because of the lack of protection that bikes provide. Both personal injury and wrongful death claims may be filed in the aftermath of this tragedy. The wife may opt to seek financial relief for her own injuries as well as for the death of her husband. The driver of the pickup and any separate owner of record of that vehicle may be named as defendants in those civil proceedings. Evidence of driver negligence that is found to have caused or materially contributed to the crash will be necessary in order to establish liability for any monetary damages sustained.
Source: gasconadecountyrepublican.com, “Owensville man dies in motorcycle crash near Salem; wife injured”, Aug. 5, 2015
