Melvin Pryor Killed ID'd as Motorcyclist Killed in Collision on Merced Falls Road near J59 in Merced
Merced, California (June 13, 2022) – 57-year-old Melvin Pryor was killed in a motorcycle accident near Snelling on May 31.
At around 8:25 p.m. California Highway Patrol officers responded to a collision on Merced Falls Road near Highway 59.
Pryor was riding a 2000 custom motorcycle westbound on Merced Falls Road when he collided with an eastbound 2015 Jeep Cherokee driven by 59-year-old Kevin Dougherty of Snelling.
Dougherty was reportedly attempting to make a left turn into a private driveway when he struck the motorcycle.
Pryor became trapped beneath the Jeep and suffered major injuries.
He was airlifted to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto where he succumbed to his injuries.
Dougherty was suspected of driving under the influence and was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.
More details about the accident were not provided.
An investigation into the accident is underway.
Traffic Collision Fatalities Reached a 16-Year High in 2021, Early Estimates Show
Newly released estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that fatalities reached a 16-year high last year.
According to the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021 report released by NHTSA, about 42,915 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2021. This shows a 10.5% increase from the 38,828 fatalities reported in 2020. NHTSA says the projection is the highest number of traffic deaths since 2005 as well as the largest percentage rise in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
The report indicates that the traffic fatalities in the following categories showed relatively large increases in 2021, as compared to 2020;
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- Fatalities in multi-vehicle collisions went up 16%
- Fatalities among drivers 65 and older rose by 14%
- Pedestrian fatalities up 13%
- Fatalities in crashes involving at least one large truck up 13%
- Daytime fatalities up 11% Fatalities on urban roads up 16%
- Motorcyclist deaths up 9% Bicyclist deaths up 5%
- Fatalities in speeding-related mishaps up 5%
- Fatalities in police-reported, alcohol-involvement collisions up 5%
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