One person killed following crash on Toll 49 Thursday

TYLER — A Tyler man is dead after a crash on Toll 49 Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, the crash occurred on Toll 49 between Paluxy and Broadway around 4 p.m. The preliminary DPS report indicates that the driver of a 1998 Kawasaki motorcycle and the driver of a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, were both traveling westbound on Toll 49. The driver of the Chevrolet made an illegal U-turn, causing the motorcycle to strike the side of the truck. The driver of the motorcycle was identified as Christopher Lee Eickenhorst, 40. Eickenhorst was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as Jamal Russell, 30, of Jacksonville. Russell was not injured in the crash.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, motorcycle fatalities are trending upwards. Currently, one motorcyclist dies every day in the state due to an accident. In 2020, approximately 500 people were killed and 2,000 were injured. Now, TxDOT is asking drivers to watch out for motorcyclists with a new campaign. “More and more drivers are distracted and not completely focused on their driving and that’s a recipe for disaster. Please if you’re driving, make it your number one priority. Always look twice for motorcycles. Remember there’s a life riding on it,” said Terry Pence, Behavioral Traffic Safety Section Director with TxDOT. May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.