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A St. Louis couple was recently killed in an accident in which their motorcycle collided with a car, according to local law enforcement. They were riding on Interstate 44 near Big Bend Road at about noon yesterday. The married couple was on vacation at the time of the collision. According to reports, a 70-year-old man was driving his vehicle eastbound while the couple was traveling westbound. The man was attempting to make a left turn when it collided with the motorcycle. The elderly man was not injured, but the two traveling on the motorcycle did not survive.
No citations or charges have yet been issued; this is likely because the accident is still under investigation. The accident is currently being investigated by county police officials by way of accident reconstruction. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has set the guidelines for standardized investigation. This scientific process will investigate the driver(s), vehicles involved, the road and the surrounding environment. These reconstructions are typical for cases involving fatalities and those involving severe injury. The data resulting from these investigations is also beneficial for improving traffic safety regulations.
For example, if the cause of the accident was a defect in the road, then the road could be repaired to avoid further accidents of that nature. Although external factors could have contributed to this accident, a common cause of accidents involving motorcycles is some type of negligence. As opposed to 13 out of every 100,000 cars that are involved in fatal crashes, about 72 out of every 100,000 motorcycles are involved in fatal crashes. Motorcyclists are less protected from injury because they are exposed to the open road. Even if the couple was obeying all of the necessary traffic laws, the driver of the other vehicle may have failed to see or notice them. Results pending, the surviving family members of this couple may be able to file a wrongful death claim.