A 26-year-old Georgia man was killed in St. Tammany Parish after the off-road motorcycle he was riding collided with a pickup truck along U.S. Highway 190 in Covington, according to state police.
Louisiana State Police said the rider, identified as Muhammad Connor of Snellville, Georgia, was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said the driver of the pickup truck was not injured.
How the crash unfolded
According to WWL-TV, Louisiana State Police said the crash happened Friday when a Toyota Tacoma pulled into a driveway along U.S. 190. Connor, who troopers said was riding eastbound on the highway shoulder, then struck the right side of the pickup.
The station reports Connor was operating an off-road motorcycle, often referred to as a dirt bike, and was not wearing a helmet at the time. State police said the Tacoma’s driver was wearing a seatbelt and was not hurt.
State police context
In a recent release from Troop L, Louisiana State Police noted that troopers have issued several alerts this month about serious motorcycle and bicycle crashes in St. Tammany Parish. That includes a May 14 notice about a separate motorcyclist who was killed in Slidell.
In that earlier release, Troop L urged drivers to stay alert for motorcycles and reminded riders to wear DOT-approved helmets and consider taking motorcycle safety training courses.
Why helmets matter
Federal traffic safety research has long backed up those helmet warnings. Analyses cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that helmets reduce the risk of death in a motorcycle crash by about 37 percent and cut the risk of head injury by roughly 69 percent.
Safety experts say that means wearing an approved helmet and protective gear remains one of the most effective ways for riders to improve their odds of surviving a crash.
Investigators told WWL-TV that it is not yet known whether impairment was a factor. Routine toxicology samples were collected, and the crash remains under investigation by Troop L. Anyone with information related to the collision was asked to contact Louisiana State Police Troop L.
