Live! reported that a motorcyclist and Ram dually flatbed truck collided on U.S. 87 at Apache Trail north of San Angelo, killing the motorcyclist.
According to the initial crash investigation, Texas DPS stated that a white Ram 3500 flatbed pickup headed west on Apache Lane stopped at the intersection of the northbound lanes of U.S. 87 and then proceeded across the highway. The driver, Slade Duane, 28, of San Angelo, failed to yield the right-of-way to the northbound motorcyclist who was in the inside lane of the four-lane divided highway.
The motorcyclist and Ram collided in the intersection. Killed in the crash was the motorcyclist, Michael Daniel Delvin, 48, of Grape Creek. He was pronounced dead at Shannon Medical Center by Dr. Scott Hodge. He was driving a 1999 Honda Shadow.
Texas DPS led the investigation of the crash assisted by the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. Grape Creek VFD was seen directing all northbound traffic on U.S. 87 off the highway and onto the service road while the crash investigation was being conducted.
When the first responders were notified of the major crash over the radio, dispatch informed EMS that a male was lying on the ground and there was some discussion as to whether or not he was breathing. Two ambulances were initially dispatched, but one was turned back once first responders assessed the number of injured at the scene.
One ambulance departed the scene with lights and sirens shortly after arriving. A Tom Green County Sheriff’s Deputy was seen following closely behind in a Ford Explorer cruiser. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry.
Motorcycle Crash Statistics
According to the Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Fact Sheet 2015:
- There were 459 motorcyclists (operators and passengers) killed in 2015.
- Fifty-two percent (52%) of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
- The Fatality Rate on Texas roadways for 2015 was 1.43 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles traveled. This is a 2.05% decrease from 2014.
- Texas experienced a decrease in the number of motor vehicle traffic fatalities. The 2015 death toll of 3,531 was a decrease of 0.14% from the 3,536 deaths recorded in 2014.
- There were 13,616 serious injury crashes in Texas in 2015 with 17,011 people sustaining a serious injury.
Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA:
- 4,976 people died in motorcycle crashes in 2015, up 8.3 percent from 4,594 in 2014.
- In 2015, 88,000 motorcyclists were injured, down 4.3 percent from 92,000 in 2014.
- In 2014, 4,586 people died in motorcycle crashes, down 2.3 percent from 4,692 in 2013.
- In 2014, 39 percent of those motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets, down from 41 percent in 2013.
- Over the nine years from 2005 to 2014, fatalities among the 40-and-older age group increased by 14 percent, compared to less than 1 percent for all ages.
- The fatality rate per registered vehicle for motorcyclists in 2014 was six times the fatality rate for passenger car occupants.
San Antonio Motorcycle Accident Attorney
This accident is truly horrific. The man driving the motorcycle was going about his business. It seems he was not speeding, nor was he driving irrationally. This is the all too common case of a driver not seeing a motorcyclist, and a wreck was the result. This wreck was very catastrophic as the motorcyclist lost his life. Victims leave behind friends and loved ones. Despite the advertisement campaigns to watch for motorcycles, many are still injured or killed every year. If you have been injured, or have lost a loved one due to a motorcycle accident please contact our office today.