On March 8, a 23-year-old Kingsport man was killed while riding his 1998 Kawasaki motorcycle south on Fort Henry Drive just after 12 p.m. He approached the intersection of Atoka Lane and Fort Henry Drive directly in front of the Walmart store and had a green light. A 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by a 53-year-old Blountville woman was heading north, reached the intersection with the green light and allegedly made a left turn into the Walmart parking lot directly in front of the oncoming motorcycle, according to the Kingsport Police Department.
According to the press release, the motorcycle and its rider went airborne when they hit the Hyundai’s passenger rear door, and the car burst into flames. The fire was reported to probably have been caused by the motorcycle’s ruptured gas tank. Sullivan County EMS personnel took the driver of the car to Holston Valley Medical Center with injuries that were deemed to not be life-threatening, but the motorcycle rider died on the way to the hospital.
The drivers’ identities were not released to the public until late afternoon on the day of the accident. The KPD Traffic Unit was still investigating the accident, and charges could possibly be pending. It could be speculated that the Hyundai driver failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.
When someone dies due to another driver’s violation of a traffic law, the family members of the deceased may consider pursuing a wrongful death action. A personal injury attorney could help by assessing all of the evidence and determining a plausible course of action aimed at pursuing compensation for final expenses and lost income.
Source: Times News, “UPDATE: Motorcycle driver killed in two-vehicle accident”, Matthew Lane, March 08, 2014