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Knoxville police urge drivers to be careful after four motorcyclists die in two weeks
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Knoxville police urge drivers to be careful after four motorcyclists die in two weeks

The Knoxville Police Department reports that four motorcyclists have died in crashes in Knoxville in just two weeks.

Tak Motoyama, 53, of Knoxville, died in the crash on Middlebrook Pike at Whitehall Road the night of Oct. 22. Motoyama’s motorcycle crashed into the passenger side of a car turning left toward the Retreat in the West Hills apartment complex parking lot.

Motoyama was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the vehicle was taken to UT Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to KPD’s press release.

Jeffrey Ross, 55, of Knoxville, died on Oct. 28 when his motorcycle left the road for unknown reasons and crashed into a telephone pole. Officers were called to the scene in the 3600 block of West Martin Mill Pike near Chapman Highway around 5:45 p.m., KPD reported. Ross, who was thrown from the motorcycle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

William McMahan, 51, of Corryton, died from injuries he suffered when his motorcycle crashed into an SUV in front of the Target at the intersection of Washington Pike and Greenway Drive around 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.

McMahan was taken to UT Medical Center with critical injuries and died at the hospital on October 30.

The driver and two passengers in the vehicle were slightly injured. The driver was fined for not yielding without paying any additional fee.

Wesley Cooper, 20, died in a motorcycle crash on Western Boulevard on the night of October 31.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., KPD officers responded to Western Boulevard at Sullivan Road where a motorcycle had been struck by a pickup truck.

The motorcyclist was taken to UT Medical Center in critical condition but died a short time later.

KPD believes the motorcyclist was traveling westbound on Western Avenue at extremely high speeds when he struck the pickup truck.

This article first appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: KPD urges drivers to be careful after 4 motorcyclists die in two weeks