Brule County, South Dakota – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the victim of a motorcycle crash that occurred on Saturday evening, approximately two miles west of Kimball.
The preliminary crash investigation reveals that a 2019 Harley Davidson FLHTK, towing a trailer, was traveling westbound on I-90 near mile marker 282. The motorcycle experienced a flat tire, causing the motorcycle and its accompanying trailer to fishtail uncontrollably. The vehicle rolled multiple times.
The driver of the motorcycle, identified as 69-year-old Dewey Hemba of Hartland, Wisconsin, was transported to Sanford Chamberlain Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased upon his arrival.
It is noteworthy that Mr. Hemba was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Further Investigation Needed to Determine Why the Tire Failed
Tire failure. Nothing is more disheartening than reading about a motorist following safety protocols on the road and their life being cut short by a tire that failed them. Unfortunately, we see this too often.
Tires fail for many reasons, some completely outside the control of the driver. For instance, just this month Harley Davidson issued a recall on 65,000 of its motorcycles due to a defect in the cycle’s suspension that may lead to tire failures like the one seen on Mr. Hemba’s bike.
Although his bike is not specifically within the recall, it is often only after serious injuries and deaths that recalls are expanded to capture the full extent of the issue.
Additionally, there may be evidence that the failed tire was defective. Tires fail due to defects all the time, leading to uncontrollable accidents. This is unacceptable. Flawed design, structural failure, and poor craftsmanship will always bring product unreliability and safety concerns.
Following a tire failure accident, it is important to have the tire and all available tread pieces preserved so the tire can be inspected for defects or other issues.
One thing is clear: tires should not fail during normal operations, and when they do, the accident should be investigated.
I extend my condolences to the Hemba family during this difficult time of loss and hope they may find peace and support from friends and family.
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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.
Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.
