A tragic collision late Saturday night in Raleigh has left a motorcyclist dead and a car driver facing multiple charges. According to The News & Observer, Cynthia Lucas, 41, was driving a Nissan Altima when she turned into the path of a Harley Davidson motorcycle ridden by 55-year-old Lewyn Stewart Jr. The accident occurred at the intersection of Yonkers Road and the eastbound Interstate 440 ramp.
Police responded to the scene after 11 p.m., finding Stewart dead at the scene due to the collision. Lucas, alongside a passenger in the Altima, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. A police statement noted that Stewart had the right of way at the time of the incident. Lucas has been charged with failure to yield the right of way, unsafe movement, and misdemeanor death by vehicle. She reportedly told police officers she did not see the motorcycle before turning. WRAL reported that a witness observed the Nissan making the left turn directly into the motorcycle’s trajectory.
While speed and alcohol are not considered factors in the crash, this incident highlights a grim statistic about motorcycle safety in the area. Motorcyclists represent a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities in North Carolina, accounting for nearly 12% of those killed in crashes, despite making up fewer than 3% of people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2023, as per the Division of Motor Vehicles’ latest complete data, noted by The News & Observer…