Burlington, IA : Two injured in motorcycle accident on Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Two people were seriously injured when the motorcycle they were riding ran off the road and into a grove trees on the U.S. 34 eastbound exit ramp to Gulfport Tuesday afternoon.

The driver of the motorcycle, Thomas Lloyd Buckallew, 47, of Burlington was transported by Air Evac helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. His wife, Michele L. Buckallew, 45, was transported by a Burlington Fire Department ambulance to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington.

Emergency crews responded to the area about 2 p.m. after receiving a 911 call indicating a motorcycle had crashed. When emergency crews arrived in the area, they couldn’t find the accident and proceeded eastbound off the ramp toward Gulfport.

Randy and Stacey Wachter of Gulfport were exiting the same ramp off of U.S. 34 from Burlington when they saw the emergency crews in front them.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Randy Wachter said at the scene. “Then, I saw a man climbing up the (south side) of the ditch screaming for someone to help. Stacey jumped out of our vehicle and began to help the man while I tried to catch up to the ambulances to tell them where the accident was. You couldn’t see the motorcycle or the woman because they were in a bunch of trees.”

Stacey Wachter said the man began crawling out of the ditch about the same time they passed by the area. She said both victims were probably in the trees when the emergency responders first passed by.

“The man kept saying there was woman by the motorcycle over in the trees who needed help,” she said, indicating the man was suffering serious injuries himself. “I went down and found the woman. She had several injuries, including a compound fracture to her leg.”

They were both conscious the entire time, she said.

“I’m just glad we saw them and were able to help,” Stacey Wachter said.

Initial indications are the man driving the motorcycle was able to make the initial call to 911 and report the accident to authorities.

The Illinois State Patrol and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene investigating the accident.

Source :
Two injured in motorcycle accident