A 71-year-old St. Louis man was left in critical condition after loose bedding strapped to his motorcycle came undone and jammed the rear tire, sending the bike into a rollover on Interstate 44 in Franklin County. The crash happened around 5:36 p.m. on October 12, when the man's 2017 Kawasaki KLR650 was traveling eastbound and the pillow and comforter he had secured to the bike worked loose, got caught in the rear wheel, and locked it up.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the sudden wheel lockup caused the motorcycle to overturn, ejecting the driver from the seat. KRCG reported that the man sustained critical injuries in the fall and was transported to Mercy Hospital St. Louis for treatment. Troopers noted he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
A Common but Underestimated Hazard
In this crash, the bedding became caught in the motorcycle's rear wheel, and the motorcycle overturned. Missouri law, under RSMo 307.010, requires cargo on vehicles using public highways to be secured or covered so it cannot fall off and create a hazard; a violation is a class C misdemeanor, with punishment as provided by law.
The danger isn't limited to vehicles that lose their own cargo. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that road debris and unsecured loads contribute to more than 50,000 police-reported crashes nationally each year, with roughly 500 deaths and 39,000 injuries over a four-year study period. That same research found that nearly 37 percent of fatalities in debris-related collisions happen when a driver swerves or overcorrects rather than striking the object directly, underscoring how quickly a seemingly minor obstruction can turn catastrophic at speed.
Helmet Use Amid a Changing State Law
Missouri's helmet requirements changed in August 2020, allowing motorcycle operators and passengers aged 26 and older to ride without protective headgear if they carried health insurance. Before that change, state law required helmets for all riders. The 71-year-old driver was wearing a helmet.
A Stretch of Highway With a Troubled Recent Record
The crash occurred on Interstate 44 in Franklin County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the crash.
This is not the first serious motorcycle crash Hoodline has covered on this stretch of highway in recent months. In September, Hoodline reported on a fatal Dixon rider sign strike along the same interstate in Franklin County, while a separate fatal motorcycle crash closed eastbound lanes of I-44 in neighboring Sunset Hills in St. Louis County.
