A 70-year-old man from Festus died after a two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle on Highway 67 north of Meyer Road in Jefferson County, Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that the collision occurred at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. According to the patrol, a 59-year-old St. Louis man was driving a 2020 Toyota Tacoma from a private drive and entered the southbound lanes of Highway 67 while attempting to cross the roadway. The report states that the Tacoma slowed while a northbound vehicle used the crossover. The patrol reported that the Festus man was riding south on a 2005 Honda Shadow Aero, braked and began to skid before the front of the motorcycle hit the front of the Tacoma. The motorcycle overturned, and the rider was ejected. Joachim Plattin Ambulance took him to Mercy Hospital Jefferson, and he was later pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital South. The report said he was using safety equipment. Corporal D.A. Crowell investigated with assistance from Master Sergeant J.R. Campbell. What Makes This Incident Different This reported crash involved a motorcycle and a pickup truck at a point where a vehicle was entering Highway 67 from a private drive and attempting to cross the highway. Motorcycle collisions can require careful reconstruction because riders may brake, skid, lose control, or be ejected in the moments before and during impact. The patrol's account identifies a northbound vehicle using a crossover as the Tacoma slowed. That reported sequence may make the timing, positions, and movements of multiple vehicles important to understanding the collision. The available report also identifies substantial damage to the motorcycle and moderate damage to the Tacoma, but the evidence—not assumptions—will determine what occurred and why. Questions Investigators May Examine Investigators may examine conditional questions such as: - Whether the movements of the Tacoma while leaving the private drive can be established from physical evidence, vehicle damage, and witness accounts. - Whether the Honda's braking and skid can help clarify its speed, path, and position before contact. - Whether the northbound vehicle using the crossover may have information about the sequence of events. - Whether sightlines, traffic conditions, roadway markings, and the location of the private-drive entrance may help explain what each driver could observe. - Whether the point of impact and final vehicle positions can be reliably determined. These questions do not establish fault. Authorities and any later civil investigation must rely on the available evidence. Evidence That May Need to Be Preserved After a fatal motorcycle collision, families and representatives may want to act quickly to preserve information that could be lost, overwritten, or changed. Depending on the circumstances, potentially relevant materials may include: - The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report and any available investigative materials. - Scene photographs, measurements, diagrams, and records documenting the roadway area north of Meyer Road. - Photographs of the 2020 Toyota Tacoma and 2005 Honda Shadow Aero before repair, disposal, or further alteration. - Vehicle event data or electronic information, if available and recoverable. - Towing, storage, repair, and inspection records for either vehicle. - Nearby video footage, if any exists, including recordings that may have limited retention periods. - Statements and contact information from witnesses, including any person who saw the vehicles or was traveling northbound near the crossover. - Ambulance and medical records related to the emergency response and treatment. A lawyer can send preservation requests where appropriate, but whether any particular item exists or can be obtained will depend on the circumstances. What Families Should Know The death of a loved one in a traffic crash can leave a family facing immediate grief as well as practical concerns about insurance communications, medical bills, funeral expenses, and the loss of support. In Missouri, a wrongful-death claim may be available in certain circumstances, but the people authorized to bring a claim and the time limits that apply are governed by state law. Insurance companies may request statements, medical authorizations, or early settlement documents. Families do not have to make important decisions before they understand the purpose and effect of what they are being asked to sign. It can be helpful to keep copies of bills, receipts, correspondence, photographs, and any information received from investigators. Deadlines can affect a family's legal options, and the facts of a particular case matter. Speaking with a Missouri wrongful-death attorney promptly can help a family understand possible next steps without requiring them to make assumptions about responsibility. How Dunk Law Can Help Dunk Law can help families after fatal Missouri motorcycle crashes by reviewing the reported facts, identifying evidence that may need prompt preservation, and addressing communications with insurers and other involved parties. Our team can explain the wrongful-death process in plain English, assess available records, and help families pursue a case when the evidence supports one. If your family is coping with the loss of a motorcyclist after a Jefferson County crash, contact Dunk Law for a confidential discussion of the circumstances and your potential legal options. Related Dunk Law Resources - All practice areas This post is based on publicly available news reports and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice.