On the evening of November 12, 2009, a Ford truck backed out of a private driveway onto Louisiana Highway 40 in St. Tammany Parish, directly into the path of a 2005 Honda VTX motorcycle. The motorcycle operator was wearing a helmet, but nevertheless, was killed in the motorcycle crash. The driver of the Ford truck is believed to have been impaired and was charged with DWI 3rd offense, Vehicular Homicide, and Failure to Yield from a Private Drive.
Motorcycle accidents claimed 4,810 lives nationwide in 2006, and alcohol was involved in 1,677 of the deaths. 88,000 motorcyclists were injured during the same time period. In Louisiana, 95 motorcyclists were killed in 2006, 29 of which deaths involved the use of alcohol. Never drink and drive!
While the St. Tammany, Louisiana motorcycle operator lost his life despite wearing a helmet, the importance of helmet use cannot be underestimated. The National Highway Transportation Safety-NHTSA estimates that helmets saved 1,658 motorcyclists’ lives in 2006, and that 752 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. Remember, helmts save lives.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle crash, contact the Baton Rouge, Louisiana motorcycle accident lawyers at Dué Guidry Piedrahita Andrews Courrege L.C.. Email Louisiana Injury Lawyers or contact us at (225) 929-7481 to schedule a free consultation.