Richard Sally Killed in Motorcycle, Truck Accident in Peoria, IL
Peoria, IL -- April 24, 2022, Richard Sally was killed following an accident where a motorcycle and a box truck collided.
Authorities reported that the crash took place at around 8:35 p.m. along Knoxville Avenue at Hickory Grove Road.
In their reports, officials said that 38-year-old Richard Sally was with other motorcyclists traveling southbound on Knoxville. At Hickory Grove, a northbound box truck attempted a left turn, hitting Sally's motorcycle.
Due to the collision, Sally sustained fatal injuries. It appears no one else was hurt. At this time, additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Commentary on Richard Sally Motorcycle, Truck Accident in Peoria
Right now, there are some specific details not mentioned in reports which could change the landscape of these events significantly. For instance, finding out who had the right-of-way would be big. Images appear to show that this intersection is controlled by a light. If the box truck had a green arrow, then the truck driver would have had a reasonable expectation that they wouldn't run into an oncoming motorcycle. Otherwise, if the truck was supposed to yield, that seems more like a truck driver not paying enough attention, short of something odd like the victim's headlight being off. One thing that needs to be treated carefully is how investigators view the victim, considering how many people are biased against motorcyclists.
Put simply, many folks automatically assume that motorcyclists are reckless. They see a crash, and they just assume the motorcyclist was speeding, weaving through traffic, or otherwise being reckless. Is that possible? Absolutely, but many times motorcyclists are instead the victims of larger vehicles whose drivers aren't keeping a proper lookout. Without actually letting the facts speak for themselves, however, victims and families can run into significant obstacles trying to get the help they need.
Not long ago, for example, a family came to me with a tragic accident where their loved one on a motorcycle crashed with a semi-truck. The authorities said the motorcycle was driving recklessly, but the family knew their loved one would never do anything so dangerous. As we dug into things, it soon became clear the authorities completely botched the investigations. A witness mentioned in the reports confirmed that they simply told the investigating officer that the motorcyclist passed them on the left, then went back to the right. There's nothing dangerous about that, but the officer's bias twisted that maneuver into some reckless weaving maneuver. Evidence showed that it was actually the semi-truck cutting off the motorcyclist at a parking lot that caused the wreck.
Now, I'm not trying to say anything like that is happening here. That's not for me to say without looking at evidence myself. My point is that folks may take early reports at face value when they can have pretty big mistakes, especially with something as complete as a motorcycle wreck. That's why it's absolutely crucial to make sure the people looking into a given wreck have the tools and experience needed to get clear answers for the victim's loved ones. Are those steps being taken here?
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