Most Louisiana drivers understand that they owe a duty of reasonable care to their passengers and to others on or near the roadway. The laws apply to everyone, no matter what kind of vehicle they are driving. If these simple, yet important requirements are ignored, it could easily lead to a car or motorcycle accident.
When drivers follow the rules of the road, like watching out for fellow drivers on the road, following the right-of-way and stopping at a red light, our roadways are typically safe and free to travel. Unfortunately, not everyone may feel that these important laws apply to him or her. For one 28-year-old man that was riding his Suzuki motorcycle after 5:30 p.m., it was his last ride because these rules were apparently broken by another driver.
The 47-year-old driver of a Ford box truck had just turned onto a local road in Marrero, traveling westbound, when the truck slammed into a motorcycle and its rider. The motorcycle reportedly burst into flames upon impact. The rider suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene of the collision.
According to witness statements, the driver of the truck got out of his vehicle and saw the horrific scene of the mortally wounded victim and the fire engulfing the motorcycle. After seeing this scene, the driver proceeded to flee on foot. Authorities later apprehended the man.
The man was later charged with negligent homicide, failing to yield at a traffic signal and felony hit-and-run. He was processed and booked into the Correctional Center in Jefferson Parish. It is unclear if the box truck was a commercial vehicle. In either case, the family of the deceased victim may file a wrongful death claim against the driver of the box truck and possibly the man’s employer. If the man was working at the time of the accident, his employer may also be culpable in this fatal motorcycle accident according to Louisiana law.
Source: wdsu.com, JPSO: Motorcycle strikes vehicle, bursts into flames; 1 killed, Clint Durrett, March 16, 2014
