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July 9, 2009

Athens man dies in motorcycle accident

Smith was killed avoiding an accident with another vehicle, he was ejected from his cycle after hitting a fence post

By Rich Flowers News Editor

A man was killed after he was ejected from his motorcycle on a county road southeast of Athens Wednesday night.

David Lynn Smith, 31, of Athens was transported to East Texas Medical Center, Athens where he pronounced dead by Precinct 6 Justice of the Peace Milton Adams.

According to Henderson County Sheriff’s Department reports, dispatch received a call at 6:35 p.m., informing authorities the wreck had occurred on County Road 4528 just off Farm-to-Market Road 1615.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Brad Fulton, said an eastbound Chevrolet Blazer — driven by Paul Eilende Pruitt, 47, of Athens — slowed to make a left turn into a private drive. Smith approached from the west and saw the Blazer turning in front of him. He took evasive action to the right and drove into the ditch. Fulton said the motorcycle did not make contact with the Blazer.

“The motorcycle went around and missed the vehicle,” he said. “When he did, he hit a fence post and fence. At that time the vehicle flipped and ejected him.”

Fulton said there were not enough of skid marks at the scene for him to determine the speed of motorcycle. The vehicle was not far from the Blazer when it came to a rest and did not sustain severe damage, both signs it was not traveling very fast at the time of the wreck.

“There was a speedometer nearby that was off the motorcycle, stuck on 40 miles-per-hour,” he said. “If a speedometer is working, and they hit something hard enough it will stick on the speed.”

Fulton said he could not be certain that the speedometer was actually working prior to the crash, however.

“It was a fairly simple collision, just a bad result,” he said.

The motorcycle was not registered, and did not appear to be roadworthy, Fulton said.

The wreck remained under investigation Thursday.

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