Motorcycle accident fatalities can happen to any motorcycle riders in the Nashville community regardless of age or experience. Although motorcycle accidents may be more common for riders of certain age groups, no one is risk-free from sustaining personal injuries during an accident, including professional motorcycle riders such as police officers.
Members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, friends, and family members recently remembered a 36-year-old trooper who died in a motorcycle crash in Smyrna. The officer died in a motorcycle accident in front of the Stonecrest Hospital on Sam Ridley Parkway.
At the time of the accident, the officer was helping to escort U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilots to an air show according to WSMV-TV. The crash involved three vehicles and two state troopers.
The commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Safety and Homeland Security released a statement to commemorating the trooper's service. "We have lost one of Tennessee's finest in a tragic accident. I urge Tennesseans to keep his family in their thoughts and prayers," the statement said.
The Thunderbirds' leader also issued a news release expressing sadness for the trooper's death and a "deep respect and appreciation for local law enforcement."
Another trooper was injured in the crash and was treated for minor injuries at Stonecrest Hospital.
At the trooper's funeral, a lone motorcycle commemorated his seven years of service with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Other troopers and law enforcement officers served as pallbearers and mourned the trooper's loss.
"It's a sad day when you have to bury one of your own. It's like losing a brother or family member," a fellow trooper said.
Source: WSMV-TV, "Funeral Held For Trooper Killed On Duty," Annie Wells, 5/12/11; WSMV-TV, "Highway Patrol Officials Honor Fallen Trooper," 5/9/11