A 27-year-old motorcyclist from Jasper was killed Tuesday afternoon when a passenger car turned into his path on East Cherokee Drive near Cumming Highway in the Macedonia area of Cherokee County, authorities said.
The victim was identified as Nicholas Rider of Jasper. According to 95.5 WSB, deputies were called to the scene around 2:45 p.m. Rider was pronounced dead after the collision. The driver of the passenger vehicle, identified as 82-year-old June Burns of Ball Ground, was not seriously injured.
Cherokee County deputies said the southbound car was turning into a driveway in front of the northbound motorcycle just north of Cumming Highway when the crash happened, Atlanta News First reported. Emergency crews shut down the roadway for a time while investigators documented the scene and cleared the wreckage.
Investigation Underway
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Traffic Enforcement Unit is leading the investigation, according to 95.5 WSB. No charges had been filed as of the time of that report.
Investigators will analyze physical evidence and speak with witnesses as they work to determine what led up to the crash, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Officials have not released any details on potential contributing factors such as speed or impairment.
Turning Collisions Are Often Deadly
Collisions where a vehicle turns across the path of an oncoming motorcycle are a familiar and often deadly pattern, according to federal data and traffic safety advocates. The Governors Highway Safety Association notes that turning maneuvers are frequently involved in fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes.
Authorities asked anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has video from the area to contact the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Traffic Enforcement Unit, Atlanta News First reported. No additional information had been released.
