A 38-year-old Johnston man was killed Saturday after his motorcycle slammed into a pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer on Hartford Avenue near the Oak Swamp Reservoir, authorities said. First responders rushed the rider to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police have not yet released his name.
Johnston police told NBC Boston the crash happened when the motorcycle hit the pickup as it was making a left turn on Hartford Avenue near the reservoir.
What investigators say
WJAR reported the collision occurred Saturday afternoon when the truck attempted a left turn and the motorcycle struck the flatbed trailer. The rider suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital as police worked the scene.
The crash remains under investigation, according to WJAR, and Johnston police told NBC Boston the pickup’s driver is cooperating with investigators.
Left-turn collisions are a common hazard
National research from the IIHS shows crashes where a vehicle turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle are a frequent contributor to fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes, with a recent analysis finding left-turn crashes make up roughly 26% of such deadly collisions.
Agencies including the NHTSA continue to study motorcycle crash causation to guide safety countermeasures aimed at cutting down on these all-too-familiar tragedies.
