By Moses Leos III
One man was killed Friday after a car travelling along Interstate 35 in Kyle struck his motorcycle, causing him to wreck.
The accident occurred at around 10:45 a.m. along southbound I-35 near mile marker 215. Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett identified the deceased as James Grear, 49, of Gibson County, TN.
According to witness statements to police, a gray 2005 Honda Accord, driven by Kelly Watson, 37, of Round Rock, changed lanes or swerved, which caused the car to hit a silver 2013 BMW K1600 motorcycle operated by Grear.
Grear lost control of his motorcycle, with the bike hitting the inside concrete retaining wall of the interstate. He was thrown from his motorcycle, with his body landing on the northbound side of the interstate. Hays County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Beth Smith pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to police, Grear was wearing a helmet. Authorities do not believe his body was hit by another vehicle.
Barnett said the driver of the Accord was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Law enforcement and emergency officials shut down both sides of I-35 for roughly three hours.
Barnett said the accident remains under investigation. His department coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to temporarily shut down the highway this past Tuesday evening to reconstruct the accident scene as part of that investigation.
Co-workers of Grear expressed reaction to his death on the Hays Free Press Facebook page.
Steve and Sheri Quackenbush wrote that he was the “nicest man” with a “great sense of humor.” Quackenbush wrote Grear had never been to Texas and “wanted to go see it.”
“All of us at work are heartbroken today,” they wrote. “We lost a great friend. He was right with the Lord, so we know he is in a better place.”
