Downed Telephone Pole Sends Motorcyclist to Hospital

RUSK — Rusk police are following up on an accident that critically injured a motorcyclist. According to KETK, around 5:00 Wednesday morning, a truck hit a telephone pole on U.S. Highway 69. The telephone pole and line were knocked down with the cable falling into the roadway. Within a few minutes, a motorcycle driven by Mark Edward Schnackenberg, 44, of Gonzales, La., struck the cable causing him to lose control of the motorcycle and crash in the roadway. Schnackenberg was taken to a hospital in Tyler, where he remains in critical condition with head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Schnackenberg is a welder working at the power plant in Sacul. Schnackenberg was staying at the KOA campground in Rusk, and was on his way to work when the accident happened.

The Rusk Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a 2003 to 2009 Dodge truck. The truck is allegedly a 3/4 ton or one ton truck. Investigators believe the truck has damage to the passenger side, including a mirror missing and the passenger side window broken. The truck may have a welding bed or steel bed replacing the regular pickup bed. This bed will have damage to the passenger side also. If you have any information, contact your local sheriff’s department, police department or the Rusk Police Department at 903-683-2677.