Driver Arrested after Fatal Crash with Go-Kart Driver
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Springfield, Missouri, man was killed on April 14 when the go-kart vehicle he was driving collided with a pickup truck. The Missouri Highway Patrol arrested the truck driver and was considering criminal charges against him, a trooper said.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, the victim, 39, was riding his go-kart, a small four-wheel vehicle with tubular framing, along with another person in a separate go-kart in the evening of April 14. Around 9 p.m., the two were driving near the intersection of South Jefferson Avenue and South Roanoke Avenue, east of U.S. 160 when a pickup truck came upon them.
Based on skid marks on the street, it appears that the driver attempted to brake but was unable to stop in time. He crashed into the victim’s go-kart. The 39-year-old died of his injuries. Neither the truck driver nor the other go-kart driver, who was not involved in the accident, was injured. The go-karts were not equipped with headlights or taillights.
Troopers arrived on the scene and took the truck driver into custody. The spokesman said that the highway patrol was investigating the crash. An accident reconstruction team inspected the crash site and was set to issue a report later. The results of that report may factor into whether the truck driver is charged with a crime. Court records indicated that the driver has pled guilty to driving with a suspended license at least once.
A Springfield man who lives near where the accident occurred said he believed the go-kart had mechanical problems based on how it sounded as it drove down the street. He said that making the intersection a four-way stop would go a long way toward protecting motorists and pedestrians.
Source: Springfield News-Leader, “Pick-up driver may face charges after fatal crash with go-carts,” Mike Penprase, April 15, 2011