ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A teenage motorcycle driver was killed in St. Louis on Wednesday night.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) news release stated that a 17-year-old from St. Clair, Mo. was operating a 2025 Kawasaki Ninja on Interstate 44 eastbound just east of Interstate 270.
MSHP said due to a previous crash, the motorcycle “was stopped and overturned in Lane 2.”
That previous crash happened two minutes earlier, according to MSHP, when the operator was seriously hurt after “driving at a high rate of speed.”
MSHP said the motorcycle operator was stopping and slowing to avoid traffic ahead and overturned on its side.
An International 18-wheeler approached and was unable to see the motorcycle due to an unlit roadway and the motorcycle operator’s dark clothing, according to the MSHP report.
Police say the truck driver attempted to avoid the motorcycle by steering left. The front of the truck struck the top of the motorcycle and the operator, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
