A motorcyclist leaving a vigil for a rider killed days earlier was critically injured Wednesday night after a pickup truck collided with the motorcycle on East University Avenue in Des Moines, police said. The crash happened near East 25th Street just before 8:30 p.m., only a block from the spot where 25-year-old or 26-year-old Luke Miller died in a separate motorcycle crash the previous Saturday night.
According to KCCI, Des Moines police are investigating after the unidentified motorcyclist was struck while riding home from the vigil held in Miller's memory. The rider was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to the station. A 2005 Nissan Titan driven by 60-year-old Glen McWilliams entered East University Avenue from East 25th Street to make a left turn when a westbound Kawasaki motorcycle struck the truck, per a report from Yahoo News. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time, the outlet noted.
Police arrested McWilliams and charged him with possession of a controlled substance — a Class D felony given it would be his third or subsequent offense — along with possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license, the same report states. Investigators have not said whether McWilliams faces any charge directly tied to the crash itself.
Police Suspect Impairment Played a Role
Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said investigators suspect driver impairment may have contributed to Wednesday's crash. “We suspect that there might have been some driver impairment, so we're working through that,” Parizek said, according to KCCI. Excessive speed and failure to yield are also potential significant contributing factors in both this crash and Saturday's fatal collision, per the account relayed by Yahoo News, though officials have not made a final determination in either case.
Parizek urged motorcyclists to exercise extra caution on the road, and said driver behavior is ultimately the only way to prevent many of these crashes, according to the seed reporting. The crash remains under active investigation, KCCI reported separately.
A Vigil Ends in Tragedy, Again
The injured rider had just left a vigil for Luke Miller, who was killed in a motorcycle crash along the same stretch of East University Avenue on Saturday night. Miller's fatal crash occurred when an SUV turned in front of his motorcycle as he rode along the avenue, KCCI reported. His family said he had been leaving a benefit for another motorcyclist who had been in an accident when the crash happened.
Family members gathered afterward to remember him. Lisa Miller said Luke was taken from the family too soon and that it would be hard to live without him, while Bret Miller said the family wanted to recognize Luke and invite everyone to the vigil. A separate report from WHO13 confirmed the fatal crash happened along East University Avenue between East 25th and East 26th streets before 9 p.m. Saturday, and that a motorcyclist was confirmed dead at the scene, with no other injuries reported.
Wednesday's crash unfolded just a block from where Miller died days earlier, a proximity noted in the Yahoo News account of the incident. Police have not released the identity of the motorcyclist injured Wednesday as the investigation continues.
