Cherokee, AL : 1 killed in afternoon traffic accident on U.S. 72 near Cherokee on Tuesday afternoon, October 18, 2016

One person was killed Tuesday afternoon when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a car on U.S. 72 near Cherokee.

Troopers had not released the victim's name late Tuesday because they were still trying to notify the next of kin.

Troopers said the accident happened at 2:13 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 72 and Maples Street.

According to reports, the victim was traveling east on U.S. 72 when his motorcycle collided with a car traveling west that was trying to turn across U.S. 72 south on Maple Street.

Colbert County Coroner Carlton Utley pronounced the man dead at the scene. He said the man’s body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for an autopsy.

Troopers said the driver of the car was not injured.

Emergency personnel at the scene said the victim and his motorcycle ended up off the roadway. The motorcycle and the victim were thrown several feet from impact.

Authorities at the scene said the motorcycle was more than 100 feet from the collision while victim ended up 95 feet from the point of impact.

Emergency personnel said it appears the man hit two trees on the south side of the road after he was thrown from the motorcycle.

Cherokee Police Chief Jason Williamson helped work traffic at the accident. He said the eastbound lane was not completely closed, but they did have to close the outside lane, while emergency crews worked and law enforcement collected evidence from the crash.

Officials said troopers and emergency personnel finally cleared the area just before 5 p.m.

The fatality is the 28th this year in the Northwest Alabama region and the southern Tennessee counties of Wayne and Lawrence.

It is the first fatality in October.

The accident remains under investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Quad-Cities State Troopers Post.

Source :
1 killed in afternoon traffic accident