A devastating weekend Kings County motorcycle crash claimed a Lemoore man’s life. According to KGPE-TV, the accident occurred in the westbound lanes of Highway 198 on Saturday Afternoon June 24, 2023.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to the scene west of 7th Avenue, east of Hanford, sometime around 12:47 p.m.
According to their preliminary findings, the CHP believes the 18-year-old driver of a Toyota pickup truck was traveling eastbound when for an unknown reason, the truck swerved left. It crossed a dirt median and struck a Harley-Davidson motorcycle head-on.
The rider on the motorcycle, a 52-year-old man from Lemoore was tragically declared dead at the scene. A 49-year-old woman from Lemoore riding as a passenger on the Harley-Davidson was rushed to a local hospital. Both victims were wearing motorcycle helmets.
California Highway Patrol investigators are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Motorcycle Accident Dangers Along Hwy 198 in Kings County
Motorcyclists in the Central Valley have gotten used to avoiding the dangerous mistakes that many drivers make. But sometimes drivers take actions that are so reckless, riders are left with little time to react to protect themselves.
Motorcyclists travel the open road with the least protection of any other motorist, and collisions often result in life-threatening injuries.
California transportation researchers track yearly motorcycle accident rates across Kings County. They documented 43 motorcycle accidents involving an injury in the county in 2022. Those accidents led to at least three fatalities.
Those tragic numbers were actually a shocking increase from 2021 figures when 29 serious motorcycle accidents were recorded with one death involved.
These accident numbers are quite high for such a quiet place like Kings County. The only way they will be reduced is if drivers pledge to work harder to spot the motorcyclists traveling around them. Drivers must slow down and stay focused on their surroundings to better stay in control of their much larger and heavier vehicles.
A word for victims and families after a Kings County motorcycle accident…
If you or a loved one has been victimized in a motorcycle collision in Kings County, you should be aware of the benefits available to you and your family through an insurance claim. Financial support should be expected to assist surviving victims with hospital bills at the very least. Families who have lost a loved one can also seek support for the coming years in a wrongful death claim.
You can read more about earning insurance support after a collision on my page about motorcycle accident claims in Kings County.
