BELTON, Texas – A 27-year-old motorcyclist was killed Tuesday when he unsuccessfully tried – at a high rate of speed – to split the lanes between two trucks on I-35 in Bell County, Texas DPS said Wednesday.
Benjamin Jaquez Strickland of Temple died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash that involved his Suzuki GSXR 750 motorcycle, a “truck tractor semi-trailer” and a large truck, a Department of Public Safety news release said.
According to DPS, Strickland was traveling southbound in the right lane of IH-35 at a “high rate of speed.”
“(He) drove his motorcycle between the two trucks, splitting the lanes,” the release said. “(He) struck the left side of the straight truck, veered into the rear tandem of the truck tractor’s trailer axles, and struck the outside tire of the fifth axle.
“(He) was thrown from the motorcycle (and) ran over by the rear tandem axle of the straight truck and died on scene,” DPS said.
Justice of the Peace Cliff Coleman pronounced Strickland dead. Next of kin were notified.
