Holiday weekends can be one of the most dangerous times to be on Missouri roadways. There are more vehicles, including motorcycles, on the road on a Fourth of July holiday weekend. Typically, that means more potential hazards. Drivers may be distracted or careless with holiday hullabaloo on their minds. Motorcycle accidents are an unfortunate reality during these times.

In Randolph County on Friday, July 3, at around 3 p.m., a 56-year old man was driving his motorcycle north on Highway 63. At this moment, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a 61-year old woman was driving her vehicle east across the highway. When she crossed the median into the motorcycle’s path, the motorcycle driver applied his brakes, causing him to skid, hit the right side of the vehicle and be thrown from his motorcycle.

Sadly, the Missouri man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. Apparently, the woman had been wearing her seat belt, and the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. Alcohol was not suspected to be a cause in this accident.

It is not always easy to determine who is at fault in motorcycle accidents. In Missouri, when the evidence points to negligence by one or more parties to a motor vehicle crash, the victim — or the victim’s immediate surviving family in the event of a fatality — has the right to pursue a civil claim for financial damages. If negligence that is deemed to have been the proximate cause of an accident and injuries or death that resulted is properly documented in court, claims for specific items of financial damages will be considered.

Source: lakenewsonline.com, “Two lake area men killed in traffic crashes over the holiday weekend“, July 6, 2015