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One person killed in Denton car-vs-motorcycle crash after driver of vehicle makes unprotected left turn.
A motorcyclist was killed in a car-vs-motorcycle accident at the intersection of North Loop 288 and McKinney Street in Denton at around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday evening.
According to Denton Police, 33-year-old motorcyclist Jerry Provence (of Carrollton) was traveling northbound on North Loop 288 (approaching McKinney Street intersection) when a driver heading southbound on Loop 288 attempted to turn left across northbound lanes of traffic onto McKinney.
The two vehicles collided in the intersection, and Provence was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver of the car was reportedly uninjured.
Police say that based on witness interviews, both drivers had green lights at the time. But it’s important to note from a liability perspective that if both lights were green, vehicles turning left at this intersection are required to yield to opposing traffic. Police have reviewed camera footage of the crash taken from another driver’s car, but have not said whether they believe either driver was speeding.
Unfortunately, these type of failure-to-yield accidents occur far too frequently in Texas. More than half of all fatal motorcycle accidents involved at least one other vehicle, and a staggering 42 percent of these collisions were caused by vehicles failing to yield when making unprotected left turns.
While there’s a very good chance the victim’s family has a valid negligence-based civil claim or lawsuit against the other driver, at this time police have not yet indicated whether or not criminal charges will be pursued.
Montgomery Law is a Dallas-based personal injury law firm focused on getting clients the justice and compensation they deserve.
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i saw this accident I was turning left going same direction as. Motorcyle the car was trying to beat the traffic that waitress behind me and did not see the motorcycle and turned in front of him clearly the cars at fault but you could tell when motorcycle hit the car the motorcyclist never moved after hitting the ground it was the most horrible thing didn’t my girlfriend and I’ve ever seen my prayers go to the family I’ve been motorcyclist I’m truly sorry for your loss
I was stuck in traffic after this happen and not complaining about that at all praying for the family and wish the local government and state do a investigation on the impact of these type of intersection. Also universal horizontal or vertical lights can’t be different everywhere for one reason color blind people have a very difficult time seeing the difference at night till 150 feet before the intersection so they’re slowing down to be cautions then proceed which slows down traffic. I’m colorblind And at night I used to look first locationly till closer to the intersection now I’m having to wonder if this is a horizontal or vertical light. All you have to do is look at that dress that went viral on what color it is to know we have more than 8% of makes theatre color blind and more than 0.5% of women that are. I have been thinking the blinking green arrows save time on commuting but it’s very dangerous mostly Iv seen them installed around corners or intersections that have a slight hill right before the intersection.
I saw this accident after it happened my boyfriend and I were coming from visiting family and we both were in shock and my lil ones in the back were asking what happened to the motorcycle guy we told them he didn’t make it they were sad for him and the family. My boyfriend said that’s a very bad intersection I said they need to take away the yellow yield light and have it to we’re it say turn on green arrow only there are way to many deaths do to these types of intersections and if there’s that many accident at one intersection that’s what they need to do plus when it’s busy you can’t really see what is coming do to the other turn lane this is very sad… a life was taken when clearly it should have never been taken I wish the law would change some of these really bad intersection and make it a lil safer. My prayers goes out to the family
The State of Texas is equally at fault. TxDOT refuses to lower the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph, they refuse to re-time the stoplights on Loop 288 so that traffic doesn’t have to go 50 mph to avoid hitting every intersection with a red light, they refuse to extend the protected left turns, even though traffic regularly fills up the left turn lanes and backs up into the through lanes because the protected left turns are not long enough. So far they *haven’t* replaced the protected green arrows with those ridiculous flashing yellow arrows, but they may still appear at this intersection. Loop 288 and McKinney Street is a very dangerous intersection. There are several major crashes per year there, and at least one fatality per year there. Several pedestrians, including children walking to school, have been killed there as well. I go out of my way to avoid driving on Loop 288, even though I live just a few blocks from that intersection.
The police have decided that Jerry was at fault how can that be when he did not yeild to on coming traffic .
Well that sure is surprising. Are you referencing the initial police crash report (they’re often incorrect), or has the investigation finished? Unless they discovered that the victim here had a red light (contradicting witness statements), I don’t see how he would have been blamed for the accident.
If the victim had been speeding, he might share a portion of responsibility. Regardless though, if the car failed to yield on a solid green and pulled into his path, that driver’s actions would clearly be the proximate cause of the collision.
Unfortunately, to give any real insight here, I would need to see the results of the investigation.
Stoplight intersections for left turns should be allowed only when there is a green arrow & no other time.
This was horribly tragic & unnecessary.
There are not words that can convey or explain my heartbreak over the loss of my dear friend Jerry.
My brother, James Holt, while riding his Harley, was killed in Travis county on January 28, 2017 by a lady who turned left, failing to yield the right of way. She should have seen him but she definitely could have heard him: He was on his Harley. He went to the morgue. She went home & slept in her bed. No alcohol/drug testing was done on her. She only faced a minor traffic ticket. Nothing more. Texas laws are messed up when you can kill a man and not spend a day in jail. But if you write a hot check to feed your family or throw paper out your car window, you face jail time. Please help change the laws. Go to the State Capital in Austin on January 28, 2019 for Biker Legislation Day. Talk to your representative. Kill a biker, Go to jail. Kill a person, go to jail. Bikers’ lives matter. All lives matter. Help make a difference. I am still heartbroken. And I’m heartbroken for this biker and his family that lost his life the same way my brother did. There should be consequences. A person’s life was taken. Our families’ & the victims should have justice.
This happened 5 minutes from my house. I am a biker myself and almost bit it on 288 southbound when a car to my left at a stop sign suddenly shot straight across 3 lanes right in front of me. I locked up the brakes and missed his rear bumper by a hair. I pray before getting on my Harley. This driver was in a hurry and never really looked. I have a wife and 3 daughters. Unacceptable.