Danny Cook Killed in Motorcycle Accident on FM 369 in Wichita Falls, TX
Wichita Falls, TX — June 21, 2022, 37-year-old Danny Cook died when his motorcycle collided with a truck on FM 369 in Wichita Falls.
According to reports the incident happened around 10:50 a.m. at the intersection of FM 369 and FM 367. Preliminary investigation suggests the Chevy 3500HD truck was traveling north on FM 369 when the driver started to make a left turn onto FM 367.
The truck driver told investigators Cook was headed south on the road and ran a stop sign as the truck turned, causing the two vehicles to collide in the crossroads. Cook's Harley-Davidson motorcycle then ran off the road into the west ditch.
Cook, reportedly not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was unhurt.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Danny Cook Accident on FM 369 in Wichita Falls
Preliminary reports suggest that the crash, while obviously tragic, may have been due to the victim running a stop sign. Of course, it also seems that story came mostly from the other driver involved in the crash.
I have no reason to doubt what he said happened, but I've also learned over the years that it's far better to let only objective facts derived from careful investigation tell the story. Careful accident reconstruction, checking both drivers' phone records, interviewing any other witnesses, and proper assessment of all the crash's variables may show the same picture, but they could also uncover other details of note. What if the bike's brakes failed, or it hit a bad patch of road that made it slide through the stop? A crash caused by either of those might look the same as one caused by a reckless rider, but clearly neither would actually have been his fault.
At the very least, the victim deserves the benefit of the doubt and his loved ones deserve to know that every effort was made to confirm what happened. I'm not accusing the truck driver of telling anything less than what he sees as the truth, but taking someone's word for it--especially someone invested in the investigation's outcome--isn't the best way to ensure the whole story is learned.
