Lucas Robert Reiss, 18, died in a motorcycle accident the afternoon of January 9, 2009 on the Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore, according to a Orange County Register article. Reiss, a resident of San Juan Capistrano, was riding a 2007 Suzuki on the westbound lanes of the highway near El Cariso Village and 46-year-old Geoffrey Keesey was traveling eastbound in a 2004 Chevy truck. Keesey had crossed into the opposite side of the road to pass another eastbound and slower truck. Reiss had to swerve to avoid Keesey’s truck, steering the motorcycle to the right and hitting a metal guardrail.
California Highway Patrol officials said Keesey did not stop at the scene of the crash, but was located later that day with the help of some eyewitnesses. Reiss was transported to an area hospital where he died an hour after the collision. The crash is still under investigation. No arrests have been made or citations issued pending the investigation.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family of young Lucas Robert Reiss who died in this tragic motorcycle accident. Please keep them in your prayers.
It is not clear from this report whether the driver of the Chevy truck, Geoffrey Keesey, deliberately left the scene of the accident or whether he simply did not realize that this accident had occurred. If this is determined to be a hit-and-run motorcycle accident, Keesey will most likely face criminal charges. If the CHP investigation determines that Keesey caused the crash then he could also be held civilly responsible for the accident and fatal injuries caused.
The family of Lucas Robert Reiss would be well-advised to consult a reputed California motorcycle accident attorney, who will look at all the facts of this case and help determine who or what caused this tragic accident. A skilled personal injury lawyer will also look into other factors such as a dangerous roadway, mechanical malfunction and product defects that may have contributed to the accident. Where there is negligence or wrongdoing involved, families of deceased auto accident victims are entitled to file wrongful death claims. Such claims compensate victims’ families for the loss of a family member who has been killed because of someone else’s carelessness or negligence.