Two People Confirmed Dead in Motorcycle Crash on US 87

 

Just after noon today, dispatch received a call for a major motor vehicle accident at 16486 N. US Hwy 87 near Water Valley at the Tom Green County and Coke County line. The driver of a white utility truck and a red motorcycle collided, and thus far one person is confirmed dead; however, there are reports of two deaths. LIVE! is waiting for confirmation on that report.

Motorcycle versus utility truck on US 87 (LIVE! Photo/Cameron Niblock)

At this time, there are several Tom Green County Sheriff's Office deputies, DPS troopers, and an ambulance on scene.

The red motorcycle is lying on the right side of the road, while one of the victims is lying under a tarp on the left shoulder on US 87 heading towards San Angelo.

Motorcycle versus utility truck on US 87 (LIVE! Photo/Cameron Niblock)

Currently, officials are diverting traffic, so please avoid the area if possible.

This is a breaking story. We will provide more details once available.

Update April 26 at 2:21 p.m.

Justin Baker, safety education and public information officer for DPS, confirmed the two-vehicle crash on US 87 N, just north of the Tom Green County line. The vehicles were a 2006 Honda Shadow occupied by a male and female, and a 2015 Dodge Ram pickup occupied by two males.

Baker said the Honda Shadow had just pulled out onto US 87 traveling southbound from the rest area.

Motorcycle versus utility truck on US 87 (LIVE! Photo/Cameron Niblock)

"For unknown reasons, the vehicle was traveling at a low rate of speed," said Baker. "The driver of the 2015 Dodge Ram pickup observed the motorcycle in the inside lane, and for unknown reasons, the motorcycle changed lanes, resulting in a rear-end collision with the motorcycle and the Dodge Ram pickup."

Both the male and female occupants of the motorcycle are confirmed deceased, Baker said.

"The investigation is ongoing, and no other information is available at this time," said Baker.

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I ride a motorcycle, a BIG motorcycle. Ive learned over the years, DON'T TRUST ANYONE on the road, in town or out. Many drivers in vehicles with four or more wheels just barrel ahead and have little consideration for other drivers, Many have never heard of brakes and have no idea how to slow down and give way to other drivers, motorcycles included.

Sadly the only person that knows what happened is now gone. The motorcycle pulled out from the rest area into the near lane and the truck was in the far lane so in theory everything should have been fine. Only the operator of the motorcycle knows why he changed lanes into the path of the truck while going much slower. Now two people have lost their lives and the driver of the truck has to live with the memory of plowing into them. From the damage to the truck the bike must have been going a lot slower which makes it even harder to understand. Everyone can point fingers and say "motorcycles are bad" or "the driver of the truck should have done this or that" but the fact remains that one person that could answer the main question is gone.

I have ridden for a long time and have had close calls in which some were my fault and some which were other driver's fault. You learn from your mistakes but this was one mistake that was too costly.

I feel bad for everyone involved, from the victim's families to the driver of the truck.

The story said that the motorcycle moved to the INSIDE lane after leaving the rest stop and wasn't moving up to speed. We can speculate all day, however, after riding for 18-plus years, I've learned that drivers approaching slower vehicles/motorcycles SHOULD SLOW, especially when the speed limit is 65-75mph. The inside lane is the lane on the median side, the left lane, the FAST lane. I speculate, and that's all it is, that the rider just didn't get up to speed for some reason, and attempted to get into the outside (right) lane where a slower driver, bike or truck/car, should have been all along. ANYONE APPROACHING A SLOWER VEHICLE IN THE INSIDE LANE SHOULD REALLY BE ON THEIR TOES AND SLOW DOWN! Since raising speed limits on Texas roads, I've seen 75 mph speed limits on paved goat trails. Texas needs to reevaluate its' designation of higher speed limits. "Experts" might disagree, but the wrecks everywhere should tell the tale. Way more fatalities, even in 4-wheeled vehicles. NOTE: I DID check with law enforcement as to the lane designation. The lane nearest the yellow line is the INSIDE lane, the lane nearest the white (fog) line is the outside lane.

I cringe when I see a motorcyclist not wearing a helmet. You have got to be insane not to wear a helmet, especially in this friggn town!

From the picture and the statements its 2 counts of vehiclecular manslaughter. Unless the truck driver purposely decided not to slow down; he was keen enough to see the motorcycle driver not moving as fast as himself. That would be a more serious charge. Many bullies on the road throwing caution to the wind.

I keep looking at the pictures for skid or scuff marks indicating braking. Blowing up the photos and looking down the highway, I still see none. (Look in the traffic lanes coming toward the camera and back toward the direction the vehicles were coming from, north I believe, and see if you can see any distinctive skid marks. I can't.)

jecarden, you're an idiot.... Apparently you can't comprehend what you read. Maybe you could get somebody to read the story to you and then draw you a picture, that might help you...... The motorcycle intentionally changed lanes directly in front of the pickup, the driver of the truck is not even remotely at fault here............

Replying to a post that is 3 years old doesn't indicate MENSA level intelligence either.

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