USA Today’s The Tennessean is reporting that a 19-year-old truck driver has been arrested in connection with a crash on February 14 that took the life of a motorcyclist. The driver also fled the scene of the deadly crash.
According to Metro crash investigators, Leon W. Duke, from Nashville, was driving a friend’s pickup truck when he caused the deadly crash at the intersection of Anderson Lane and Gallatin Pike in the Madison neighborhood of Nashville. Duke was coming from a bar in the Rivergate area at the time of the incident. The report from law enforcement shows that Duke turned in front of the motorcycle driven by Curtis Kevan, a 59-year-old man from Bethpage, who died as a result of the crash.
Duke, who was just arrested in early March, was charged with fleeing the scene of a fatal accident, failure to report the accident, failure to render aid, driving on a license that had been revoked, and failure to yield in an accident that caused a death. Duke’s brother and the person who owned the pickup are also facing charges because of the results of the investigation, which was headed up by Metro Officer Nathan Dungan.
Duke’s friend, 28-year-old Leonard Henderson of Portland, was charged with tampering with evidence. Henderson admitted to police that he told Duke to have the damage to his truck from the accident repaired, and he did not report his knowledge of the accident to the police at first. He was also charged because he allowed Duke to drive the truck despite knowing the 19-year-old’s license had been revoked and that he could not legally drive.
Russell Duke, the 23-year-old brother of Leon Duke who is from the Madison area, was also charged with tampering with evidence. The two brothers went to an area salvage yard together to find replacement parts for Henderson’s damaged truck. Police also said that more charges are still possible as the case continues to unfold.
Motor vehicles turning in front of motorcycles is a common cause of deadly motorcycle-vehicle accidents. Sometimes, it’s because of distracted driving on the part of the person driving the car or truck. Other times, it’s due to the driver failing to see the person on the motorcycle until it’s too late. Unfortunately, deadly motorcycle accidents have been on the rise nationwide over the last decade for a variety of reasons, and it’s one tragic trend that doesn’t appear to be nearing an end anytime soon.
When a person on a motorcycle is hit by a larger vehicle, the consequences for the rider are often quite severe because of the differences in weight and rider/driver protection between a bike and a car, truck, van or bus. If you have been hit by another vehicle while riding your motorcycle, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, suffering and the damage to your property as a result of the accident. Talk to an experienced lawyer, like a motorcycle accident attorney Denver, CO can turn to, about your case and your rights as soon as you can.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from The Law Office of Richard J. Banta, P.C. for their insight into motorcycle accident cases.