Drivers in passenger and commercial vehicles are obligated to watch out for other vehicles, including smaller, more vulnerable ones. Like everywhere else, Ohio’s roadways are traveled by motorcycles, the riders of which are exposed to greater danger than those in other motor vehicles. Most people know this and take extra care around them. However, as much as the drivers of passenger vehicles face scrutiny for their actions in motorcycle accidents, they are not always the cause of them.
For instance, troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol recently responded to a crash on State Route 219 involving two motorcycles and a pickup truck. The investigation did not reveal culpability on the part of the pickup truck driver. Instead, one of the motorcycle riders appears to have caused the crash.
As the two motorcycles traveled eastbound, the second motorcycle hit the rear of the first. Both riders were thrown off their bikes, and the first rider suffered fatal injuries to which he succumbed at the scene. The second motorcycle struck the pickup truck before coming to a stop. That rider suffered injuries serious enough to require a helicopter transfer to a second hospital after initially being transported to a local one.
Troopers continue to investigate this crash since there is reason to suspect alcohol played a role in it. In the meantime, the family of the deceased victim may exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim against the other biker. As is the case in other motorcycle accidents, any evidence gathered in connection with the official investigation could help prove negligence in that claim.
