Zumbrota, Minnesota — Police have identified the motorcyclist who was injured last Saturday in southeast Minnesota after an accident between his Honda Gold Wing and a fertilizer farm truck. The man was Keith Overbey, 67, from Rosemont, and the accident happened at about 2:15 p.m. last Saturday, April 25, 2015.
According to the news reports, Overbey was injured when his motorcycle was hit by a fertilizer truck while he was trying to pass it.
The news said that Overbey had been riding his Honda Gold Wing along Highway 60 that afternoon when he came upon a slower-moving fertilizer truck. As Overbey moved over to pass the truck on the left, the truck started to make a lefthand turn, which caused the two vehicles to collide.
Overbey was injured and had to be taken to a hospital, but was not in life-threatening condition. The truck driver, Calvin Befort, was not injured. So far, it doesn’t look like any charges are being filed against either driver.
Map of Zumbrota
Commentary:
Not many people realize this, but when passing someone on a roadway, you can technically have the right of way depending on the circumstances. If a driver is making a safe pass and the car being passed starts to turn, then an argument can be made for the passing car’s right of way.
The issue is that this farm truck might’ve initiated the left turn when it wasn’t safe — a.k.a., the motorcycle was in harm’s way and the truck should’ve yielded. I’m not saying that I know what happened that day, I obviously wasn’t there to witness the crash, but I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the motorcyclist for this wreck.
— Grossman Law Offices
