Motorcycle Collides with Gravel Truck near UAM
April 17th, 2010 by Joe Burgess
Just before 4 o’clock, Friday afternoon, calls began coming into the Monticello Police Dispatch, reporting the collision of a motorcycle with a gravel truck, at the intersection of HWY 425 and HWY 83, near UAMonticello.
According to sources at the scene, the gravel truck had pulled out of the construction site just south of the insection. The motorcycle reportedly was traveling north from the UAM stop light, and collided with the side of the gravel truck.
The motorcycle’s rider was taken to Drew Memorial Hospital by SEEMS, and then transported to Little Rock. The Harley Davidson bike had Louisiana license plates, and the rider was reportedly from Louisiana, as well.
The Monticello fire dept. responded to hose down the deisel that spilled from the truck’s punctured fuel tank.
Monticello Police worked the wreck, assisted by Arkansas State Troopers, and the Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. Triple A Towing towed both vehicles.
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has anyone heard how the young man is doing??
Is this young man a student? It was a heartwrenching accident and I pray he is going to be ok.
Last I heard he was in critical condition but they expect him to make it.
Do you have an update on the Harley driver’s condition?
he has been airlifted to Little Rock
I drive by this site twice a day at noon day and there have been a few times that I have had to use extreme caution and brake because of the trucks coming out of the construction site. Maybe someone should talk to the foreman at the site and instruct all drivers to pay closer attention to traffic coming through the traffic light there.
he is in surgery on his leg right now but he is going to be okay he had a broken femur, bruised lungs and a lasceration to the neck but he doesn’t have any head trauma. and yes he is a student.
He’s from la and he is a student at uam. He is in surgery and we are all praying he pulls thru pls keep him in your thoughts and prayers thanks..
Prayers going out to the motorcyle driver as well as the driver of the truck.
There should be sign stating construction site- SLow—Drive Carefully—The highway does not support the traffic during certain times. DC and UAM are high traffic areas, then buildings being erected in same area presents a dangerous scenerio.
This is the type of accident I’ve seen on TV with the public service announcement of “Look Twice, Save A Life”. Motorcycles are everywhere.
I hope this guy recovers.
these motorcycles of now days can cover 1400feet in less than 9 seconds look twice is a safe rule
you cant blame the truck driver when its the cycles fault. Looking twice wouldnt have made much difference in this situation. It was a tragic accident and both drivers need our prayers. True drivers need to look twice for cycles, but cycles need to be a little more cautious too. Iv seen some do some stupid stuff on the highways just cuz they are small and fast.
i hope the student will be ok this is a dangerous place and very busy
I pray that the young man make a 100% recovery and finishing his education at UAM. My son attends UAM and travels thru that area three times a day so he is aware of the need to obey the 45MPH Speed Zone. Being that this young man attends UAM, he should know that it is a high traffic area and that the speed limit sign is there for a reason. Look Twice does save lives, but how fast was he traveling ? He traveled (1200 ft from red light before the truck could cross four lanes of Highway(100ft). We do need to respect motorcycles but the motorcycles need to respect all Speed Limit Signs. I pray for everyone involved. Both the Motorcycle driver and Truck driver has some healing still to come. They are both in my prayers
… which would be 105 mph. Hope he wasn’t traveling that fast.
Seriously, everyone is blaming the truck driver. I agree with waitasec. #1- I wasnt at the scene, so I am not sure who did what, but according to the pic, the bike hit the truck. not the other way around. This is a very tragic accident and I am praying for everyone involved, but cyclists should take even more precautions than other drivers bc of the fact that they can be hurt so much worse than someone in a car or truck! Be careful. And as far as that section of hwy, EVERYONE needs to obey the speed limits. and I HATE the fact that cars get in the outside southbound lane to try and pass cars, then cut those cars off! That should be against the law!
if he was going 105 mph then he is very lucky to be alive. i dont think that kind of bike could reach 105 in that short distance. a crochrocket maybe so. but ive had some pretty big bikes and none could reach 105 in 1200 ft. and like another poster said ive seen those truck pull out in front of traffic when if waiting 3 more seconds and traffic was clear. that including the company the driver was driveing for. they need to be a little more patient.
waitasec how was it bikes fault when the bike was on hwy and truck pulled out in front of him coming out of contruction site.plus its a harley there not super fast like the croch rockets out there .there crusers not racers.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH JOSEPH . NOT TO TALK BAD ABOUT HARLEYS, BUT,THEY ARE SLOW! IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE TWO MILES TO BREAK 100MPH ON A HARLEY. AND THE TRUCK CROSSING 4 LANES? DID THE TRUCK NOT DRAG THE BIKE HALFWAY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AFTER IMPACT?
prety easy i can say it was the bikes fault, i am related to someone that worked the accident, and the truck was already crossing when the light changed to green and more trhan one eyewittnes told how the cycle for some reason gased on it and hit the truck, its easy to try to pass the blame to the gravel truck its big its slow and everyone is sick of the construction. but its not like it was something that started that day so the young man was aware to use caution. But just because it apeared to witnesses and such that it was his fault, theres no telling what was going on in his head, he could have been in a hurry, or just missed judged the distance or he may not have seen what was right in front of him. We have all done things like that, if we didnt there would be no one running a stopsighn thats been on our rout forever, pulling out infront of someone we didnt see, heck how many times have you stubbed a toe on an end table youve had for years? Bottomline there was an accident, nomatter who caused it leagally, one person has a long painful road to recovery, and the other will relive what happened for the rest of his life wishing he could change what happened even though he was inocently doing his job. Thats why they call them accidents and not on purposes. I pray for both drivers to make full recoveries phisicaly and mentaly.
they should have someone there to flag traffic and stop them while the trucks come out plus there’s alot of dust from them and i myself come thru there evry day and not being used to that area of traffic catch myself just looking down hwy.i worked several years in construction and being that close to a red light there should be a traffic controller there for flagging.
Some need to be mindful that the “cyclists” friends read comments and that this is a tragic accident and should be left at that. We all have traveled a little over the speed limit from time to time and as much as I knew the “cyclist” he is one of the more responsible people I know. leaving me absolutely no reason to believe he is a wreckless driver. There is no need for people, especially people who have no ties to either driver involved to point fingers or state their opinion about who was at fault.
I almost hit one of the trucks at the construction site Friday around noon. I agree there should be someone flagging traffic.
Hopefully, we will all slow down and pay attention. Please be especially aware of the large trailer trucks backing in loaded with the bulldozers and other large equipment. I’m not blaming the trucks; everyone has a job to do. We all, on both sides, need to be cautious.
As for whose fault it was, I wish I had all the answers like some of you folks. I’ve always found it amazing that people could not personally witness event, but still explain in exact detail how that event occurred.
Anyone know how many years experience the young man has riding bikes? Riding fast is one form of experience. Knowing to yield to each and every living thing (possoms included) that crosses your path is another.
Right now fault is irrelevant. What matters most is that both parties are ALIVE & able to learn from the mistakes. Friends & family of both parties involved need prayers & support, not finger pointing & supposition. Law enforcement officials are trained to find fault & deal with it properly. Let them. I’ve been in a situation like this, & gossip almost ruined my reputation before I was cleared of all blame. Let the pros handle it.
Does anyone have an update on how the young man is doing at this point?
The cyclist is my nephew and he’s going to be ok in due time. He has 3 pretty bad cuts to his head, both lungs are collapsed and a badly broken femur, and several cuts and scrapes. He’s already had 2 surgeries on the leg and another 1 will be tomorrow, he was in ICU till late Monday evening. We appreciate all the prayers and we all know he is a very luck young man. Keep the prayers coming because he does have a very long road of recovery ahead of him. And as far as the truck driver, I do sympathize with him. I’m sure he would have loved to not be involved with this accident.
Austin says:
April 18, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Some need to be mindful that the “cyclists” friends read comments and that this is a tragic accident and should be left at that. We all have traveled a little over the speed limit from time to time and as much as I knew the “cyclist” he is one of the more responsible people I know. leaving me absolutely no reason to believe he is a wreckless driver. There is no need for people, especially people who have no ties to either driver involved to point fingers or state their opinion about who was at fault.
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I am the big sister of the motorcycle driver and he has been on a motorcycle since he was 16 and riding with my dad since he was about 9 or 10. he knows how to drive, and drive safely. he was late for work friday afternoon (who hasnt been late for work and been in a hurry!?) i think it is so irrevelant that people are talking about “fault” or that cyclists should be more careful. it much more easier to see a full size viehicle on a motorcyle than a full size vehicle to see a motorcycle **noone can tell me i am wrong about that!!**. it does makes me happy to see most of you are praying for him because he shouldnt be alive right now! and he does know how blessed he is to be breathing (although it hurts him to simply to that.)
the lord wants him on this earth to do something wonderful and didnt want to bring him home yet, he shouldnt be alive after what he went though. but me, his frat brothers, his amazing girlfriend and my whole family will always thank God for keeping him around! continue the prayers…He is listening! thank everyone soo much! i am on facebook, if yall wanna saty updated my name is alicia mcmilleon if yall want to find me.
prety easy i can say it was the bikes fault, i am related to someone that worked the accident, and the truck was already crossing when the light changed to green
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I don’t know what happened because I wasn’t there. But my question is, which light changed green? Because if they were looking at the light heading SOUTH on 425 (away from UAM), that wouldn’t be the right one to look at. The light going NORTH on 425 changes before the other one the truck driver would have been looking at. Because it has that turn signal for people going into UAM and Drew Central.
Anyway, fault doesn’t really matter at this point. I’m just glad that the guy is doing better! I think we should all keep praying for him and his family!!!