A 51-year-old Fresno motorcyclist was killed Wednesday evening after his motorcycle slammed into the side of a pickup truck towing a livestock trailer as the truck pulled out of a gas station and began turning across Parkway Drive. The rider, identified by the Fresno County Coroner's Office as Matthew Gibson, of Fresno, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash was reported about 6:50 p.m. Wednesday on Parkway Drive north of Herndon Avenue, according to GV Wire. California Highway Patrol officers responded to the scene around 7 p.m. after getting a report of a crash involving a motorcycle in the area, as Your Central Valley reported. The Fresno Bee also covered the fatal collision, noting that CHP was the source for the official account of what happened.
How the Collision Unfolded on Parkway Drive
CHP investigators said a Dodge Ram flatbed truck towing a 28-foot livestock trailer was exiting the north driveway of the EZ Trip gas station and preparing to turn left onto southbound Parkway Drive, according to the same report. At the same time, Gibson was riding a Yamaha R6 motorcycle northbound on Parkway Drive, heading toward the intersection.
By the time the motorcycle reached the truck, the pickup had already traveled about halfway across the roadway, per the report. The motorcycle struck the left side of the pickup as it continued into the intersection, and Gibson suffered critical injuries in the impact. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the pickup was not injured, the outlet's reporting states.
Helmet Worn, No Signs of Impairment
Investigators told reporters that alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash and that Gibson was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Those details, drawn from CHP's account relayed in the same report, suggest the agency has yet to find any indication that impairment played a role on either side of the crash.
The crash remains under investigation, and no additional findings on the cause have been released. Parkway Drive near Herndon Avenue remains a stretch of road where left turns out of gas station driveways cross directly into oncoming traffic, a layout that will likely draw scrutiny as CHP continues piecing together exactly how the two vehicles ended up colliding.
