Motorcyclists dies in Airline Highway crash

A Prairieville man was killed after his motorcycle collided with a car on Airline Highway about 4:05 p.m. Friday, a State Police spokesman said.

Trooper First Class Jared Sandifer said Kyle J. Meyers, 25, was traveling south on Airline, just south of Pecue Lane, on his 2012 Kawasaki motorcycle when June D. Girlinghouse, 78, of Baton Rouge, was turning left out of the Price Leblanc Toyota dealership at 13200
Airline into the northbound lane.

Sandifer said the driver of the 2009 Nissan Altima told police she did not see Meyers when she was turning out of the dealership and Meyers slammed into her car.

Meyers was pronounced dead at the scene by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office, Sandifer said.

He said Meyers was wearing a helmet.

Sandifer said troopers do not suspect impairment was a factor in the accident, but samples from both drivers were sent to the State Police Crime Lab for investigation. He said the driver of the car was not cited but that the investigation is ongoing.

Comments

1) Comment by country - 30/04/2013

Was any witness' available to answer if the motorcyclist may have been exceeding the speed limit? I am often passed by those who ride the "crouch rockets" at what I estimate at 80 or 90+ miles per hour!

2) Comment by mmac11 - 24/04/2013

This is the key to this accident......."....June D. Girlinghouse, 78, of ...." I see way too many elderly people who cannot safely operate a motor vehicle. WAKE UP. It is time to require more frequent testing of elderly drivers. Instituting a "hands-free" cell law would also help the rest of the preoccupied drivers.

3) Comment by madbiker - 17/12/2012

LOUD PIPES SAVES LIVES??? nonsense. If loud pipes save lives, why are so many people killed by trains with loud horns???? All loud pipes do is incite lawmakers to place more restrictions on motorcyclists. Be a good neighbor and tone it down.

4) Comment by stonerolledaway - 12/11/2012

note to self, this comments can also be applied to when you are driving a car, who wants to any collision at all in any kind of vehicle.

5) Comment by stonerolledaway - 12/11/2012

good advice on pretend to be invisible, also when there are any cars around at all, slow down, dont bring too much energy to the deceleration party, dont ride when too tired, etc. they didnt say how fast he was going, cars can assume that traffic laws will be obeyed because of the safety cushion they have, not so on a bike, please do not assume anything out there. there is plenty of opportunity to find out what a 2012 kawasaki can do during off peak times of low low traffic.

6) Comment by old yat - 12/11/2012

Hey Springer: You are right Bro,two things to remember when you ride,#1 LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!! #2 WHEN YOU START YOUR RIDE,YOU AUTOMATICALLY BECOME INVISIBLE!!!!. If you remember those two things and are lucky you might get back home alive.Last time I got hit,the" little old blue haired lady "with the handicap plates,said"I did not see you". My response was " I am so glad you did not see me cause I'd be really pissed to think you saw me and pulled out anyway!"The really crazy thing was when her son showed up at the accident scene and proceeded to get her "walker" from her trunk so she could get from her car to his.46 years on two wheels and I thought I had seen it all too!!!God Bless and watch out for the fools in the cages!!!

7) Comment by Springer98 - 10/11/2012

As a rider that started riding in 1971, I think I can say that I've seen just about anything happen while operating a bike. I've been down at 60 mph & slid 90ft down the oncoming lane at night. @ Hello Baton Rouge, I understand fully what you are saying about riding defensively, but never assume that you will never get hit! I was almost killed 7 years ago, by a driver that turned left, on a 2 lane highway, right at me! I have 2 Harleys that both have drag pipes & are very loud. I can't say enough about the safety factor of loud pipes!Any time I see an auto that has a possibility of pulling out,turning or in any other manner getting in my space, I pull the clutch in & rap those straight pipes as loud as I can! I have stopped many a driver, that didn't see me! As a rider with hundreds of thousands of miles under my belt, I'll tell you that I wouldn't ride a quiet bike for anything!! My sympathies to the family of this young man. Anytime that you straddle a bike & crank it, you may not come home alive! That's just part of it!!

8) Comment by miguelhawk - 10/11/2012

"I didn't see them" Four words that motorists think absolve them of any guilt. Here's a tip, if you were doing what you were supposed to, you would have seen them.

9) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 10/11/2012

Vehicular homicide is a charge that only happens in cases where the driver at fault is also intoxicated. The correct charge here should be negligent homicide. As someone involved in a nearly fatal motorcycle crash some time ago (i was on the bike) i'll tell you that this woman would have never hit me. I have learned to expect any driver entering or crossing the highway to pull out on me, so I take a proactive approach. She is 99% at fault here but motorcyclists need to drive more defensively and expect these people to pull out on them because, lets face it, they will on more than half of the occasions.

10) Comment by ebbette - 10/11/2012

Momo - I agree with you so no flack from me even though I have people of all ages pull out in front of me every time I ride which is why I'm so vigilant. This being in the middle of the day makes it more pathetic. I don't like to ride at night because of MY ever-increasing "night blindness" and I don't want to cause my own demise but there is no reason I shouldn't be seen during daylight hours.

11) Comment by ebbette - 10/11/2012

The offense is called "Failure to yield when pulling out of a private drive" and this woman should be cited for that as well as vehicular homicide. I'm a 58 year old woman who rides my own Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic and I watch for idiots like this - I'm not going to use her age as a consideration because that's the excuse used by people of all ages - "I didn't see them". We are NOT invisible and our headlights come on automatically when we turn on our bikes. RIP to a young man who had his whole life ahead of him from a mom who lost a 16 year old son over 20 years ago. My thoughts and prayers are with all who love this young man, especially his mother since I relate to her the most.

12) Comment by Momo - 10/11/2012

Another needless death by some poor young guy just trying to probably get home to enjoy his weekend, just like the young man about a year ago who also on a Friday afternoon and also on airline just a little further down toward pville in front of the blockbuster was Los killed when a woman pulled out in front of him and killed home, the common thread here AGE! That woman was also in her late 70s early 80s don't get me wrong I'm no spring chicken I'm 51, but I sure hope when the time comes that I can't see a motorcycle coming toward me in broad daylight then I will give up my license this is a tragedy that should never have happened! These old people need to be tested on sight and reflexes at least yearly, you can call this a accident all you want but it was 100% preventable and if it was my loved one I would move heaven and earth to see to it that this person was taken off the road so this never happens again, I know I'll get flack for that but really people 4 pm broad daylight!

13) Comment by bugsy - 10/11/2012

Not cited? I guess it's not "failure to yield to right of way" when it's a motorcycle that you "did not see." RIP Kyle.