When you’re riding a motorcycle, you can’t really relax even for a second while its motor is running. Certainly, you have to constantly be alert while driving in traffic or on the highway in case you have to react suddenly to other vehicles and avoid a motorcycle accident. But you also have to remain on guard even if you are stopped – or you could wind up dead.
That’s what happened to an elderly man last week in Las Vegas. On Wednesday afternoon about 3pm, a 71-year old was riding a 2001 Harley Davidson northbound on Boulder Highway when he stopped at a traffic light at Flamingo Road. For some reason, the man’s bike tipped over, spilling the man into a northbound lane. A dump truck reportedly ran over the man wile he was lying on the pavement. According to witnesses, the dump truck driver got out, heard emergency vehicles approaching, then got back into his truck and fled the scene. The 71-year old was pronounced dead at the scene, and Metro Police believe that they have the dump truck driver in custody.
It’s not known why the motorcyclist’s Harley fell over. From the information given, it’s not clear whether the dump truck had enough time to swerve and miss the prone 71-year old man. But because the truck driver fled the scene, there is a strong chance that he will be held liable for the elderly man’s death. If this is the case, the victim’s surviving family members could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the dump truck driver (as well as the driver’s employer).