Man decapitated on motorcycle
25-year-old soldier driving too fast, police say
By HEATHER DONAHOE
The Leaf-Chronicle
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Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle
Clarksville Police Sgt. Cheryl Anderson, left, and Fatal Accident Crash Team Officers Jimmy Dill and Andy Bechtold photograph part of a motorcycle that crashed on College Street early Thursday. The bike's rider died after the motorcycle slammed into a pole. The crash decapitated the rider.
A violent wreck on College Street early Thursday morning killed a 25-year-old Fort Campbell soldier who was riding his motorcycle.
Police have determined "excessive speed" played a role in the crash, which left the driver decapitated.
The victim's name hasn't been released pending notification of family members in Bellville, Calif.
The man was heading north on College toward Wilma Rudolph Boulevard near Kraft Street shortly before 1 a.m. when he lost control of his 1996 Ducati motorcycle and slammed into a utility pole, said lead investigator, Officer Jimmy Dill, of Clarksville Police Department's Fatal Accident Crash Team.
"His front tire hit the pole head-on, and the bike just broke in half," Dill said. "The front fork and the tire and handlebars went with the rider over to the right. His body came to rest about 17 feet away from the (utility pole) next to a chain-link fence. The back half of the bike slid 290 feet after impact."
Dill said he is examining several possibilities of what may have caused the crash.
"I'm certain speed was a major factor, but there are other things I'm looking at," he said. "The road was wet, and winds were gusting up pretty heavy. There's also some evidence he may have been trying to pop a wheelie. There's just a lot we don't know right now."
The man was with the 2nd battalion of the 101st Aviation Regiment. He had returned from Iraq in June.
"I've worked some bad wrecks in my almost-10 years on the FACT team, but this was hands-down the worst I've ever seen in terms of (injuries)," Dill said.
Officer Andy Bechtold, who heads up FACT, agreed: "I can't remember one this bad," he said. "It's right up there."
Thursday's fatality was the 24th death on Montgomery County roads this year.
One-fourth of those deaths have involved motorcycles, said Sheriff's Traffic Patrol Deputy James Derico.
Anyone with information about the wreck can call Dill at 645-0656, ext. 7073.
Topic: Man decapitated on motorcycle/KY (Read 4029 times)