• April 28, 2022

Jason Rigstad, Rebecca Barker Killed in Motorcycle Accident on Hwy 80 in Abilene, TX

Abilene, TX -- April 26, 2022, 46-year-old Jason Rigstad and 32-year-old Rebecca Barker were killed in a traffic accident on East Highway 80 in Abilene.

Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 7:30 p.m. on the 2500 block of Highway 80. Preliminary investigation suggests Rigstad and Barker were on a motorcycle headed east on the highway as a pickup truck was westbound in the same area.

According to reports, the pickup driver started to turn southward toward the Loop 322 ramp. The driver failed to yield to the approaching motorcycle and the two collided in the roadway.

Rigstad and Barker both suffered fatal injuries in the collision. The pickup driver was unhurt.

The crash remains under investigation but reports say alcohol is not suspected. No further information is currently available.

Commentary on Jason Rigstad, Rebecca Barker Accident on Hwy 80 in Abilene

If reports have their facts straight it seems a driver turned into the path of the victims' motorcycle, failing to yield as the law requires. Police say they don't suspect that was due to any form of intoxication on the driver's part, and I have no reason to doubt them. However, I hope they'll at least identify what really did cause the crash instead of just ruling out what didn't. Was the driver distracted at the time, or did he perhaps just misjudge the timing of his turn? Was the motorcycle hard to see for any reason? Is that area poorly designed--does it have a history of similar accidents?

I'm not accusing anyone of anything in what is surely a difficult time for everyone involved in this tragedy. Like most people, I just get frustrated when vague news releases don't have all the information needed to make sense of a tragic accident. At the very least, the victims' loved ones deserve to know that no stone was left unturned while seeking answers for them.

Jason Rigstad, Rebecca Barker Killed in Motorcycle Accident on Hwy 80 in Abilene, TX

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