Motorcycle crash kills one
By John Joyce
Published in News on July 25, 2012 2:09 PM
A motorcyclist was killed minutes from his home in Seven Springs Tuesday as severe weather moved into the area, although officials say the approaching storm was not the cause of the fatal crash.
According to a state Highway Patrol accident report, Michael Roger Dawson, 64, of 5532 N.C. 55 East, was heading home when he rounded a curve and was unable to slow down before his Harley Davidson collided with the back of a pickup truck.
The accident happened just after 5 p.m. The driver of the Ford pickup, Aubrey Billy Thompson, 58, also lives along N.C. 55 East and was traveling about 15 mph below the speed limit, troopers said.
Highway Patrol Sgt. M.A. Kirby said no charges have been filed.
"Weather was not a factor. The storm hadn't hit yet and the road conditions were listed as dry," Kirby said. "For some unapparent reason, the motorcycle operator failed to reduce speed in time."
Dawson's family was notified by Highway Patrol about an hour after the incident. The investigation remains open.