Two Dead Following Motorcycle Accident, Van Driver Ticketed
Two Arp residents are dead following a motorcycle and van accident in Tyler, Texas. Tyler authorities report that the accident occurred after the van driver failed to yield at a flashing yellow light.
Incident Details
A motorcycle driver and passenger are dead Following a collision involving a minivan near the intersection of Copeland Road and ESE Loop 323. The collision occurred after the driver of the minivan failed to yield at a flashing yellow light before turning in front of the motorcycle.
The motorcycle was traveling West on ESE 323 with a green light at the intersection with Copeland Road. The minivan was traveling east on ESE 323 before turning northbound onto New Copeland Road on a blinking yellow light. The van failed to yield to the oncoming motorcycle, leading to the collision.
Both motorcycle passengers died on the scene. The minivan driver received a ticket for failing to yield.
Texas Motorcycle Crash Stats and Facts
According to data gathered by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), everyday one motorcyclist dies on Texas roadways. May through October are the deadliest months for motorcyclists, accounting for 61% of motorcycle fatalities. In all of 2019, 412 motorcyclists were killed and another 1,800 were seriously injured on Texas roads.
This issue has become so severe that the Department spends a month each year making a special plea to Texas drivers to be more cautious to help prevent these motorcyclist deaths. The relative frequency of these deaths is at least partly due to the fact that motorcycles can be harder to see than other vehicles.
While the highest number of motorcycle collisions occur in Texas cities including Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, drivers throughout the state need to take extra care to watch out for motorcyclists when they’re on the road. To help keep yourself and your fellow Texans safe, you can follow these tips from TxDOT:
- Be alert when turning left — it can be easy to misjudge an oncoming motorcycle’s speed, so it’s usually best to allow an oncoming motorcycle to pass before you turn left.
- Slow down — follow speed limits and slow down if you’re concerned about your ability to drive around motorcycles.
- Put special focus on intersections — nearly a third of all motorcycle accidents occur at intersections, so special care should be taken in these areas.
- Don’t drive while distracted — being distracted, even for a moment, can lead to potentially deadly results for yourself or fellow drivers and motorcyclists.
- Double check your blind spots — look twice before changing lanes to ensure that there aren’t any motorcyclists or obstacles that you may have overlooked.
- Give motorcyclists plenty of room — motorcycles may be smaller than other vehicles, but that doesn’t mean that you should crowd their space.
- Never tailgate a motorcycle — motorcycles can slow down due to downshifts without their brake light, giving following drivers warning of the deceleration, so you should always give motorcycles plenty of following room.
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle, car, or truck accident in Texas, contact the Houston car accident attorneys of Lapeze & Johns for help seeking any compensation you may be owed.
Source: KLTV
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