About 60 members of the Fort Worth Harley Owners Club were on their way to a charity luncheon at Cornerstone Assistance Services in Fort Worth when the accident occurred shortly after noon on Saturday. They had recently donated $20,000 to the charity and were heading to the facility for a tour.
According to reports, a woman driving a silver Kia minivan eastbound in the right lane of Interstate 30 hit a retaining wall at the Lancaster Avenue exit near the I-30/I-35W interchange. This, police say, caused her driver’s side airbag to deploy, restricting her vision. The driver then hit an exit barrier (concrete divider) and careened into the group of motorcyclist, who were riding in the middle lane.
Five motorcyclists were struck and five people were hurt. Four riders had minor injuries, two of which required hospitalization. The fifth victim, Harold Barton of Burleson, was transported in serious condition to John Peter Smith Hospital. He has since been upgraded to stable condition with several broken bones. Matt Zavadsky, a paramedic for MedStar who was riding with the group just two motorcycles behind the crash, said every biker was wearing a helmet.
Craig Murphy, a member of the Fort Worth Harley Owners Group, said “we believe that she was possibly texting and driving.” The driver of the minivan denies this accusation and instead blames a faulty air bag. An investigation is continuing and Fort Worth police have not confirmed what may have contributed to the motorcycle accident. No charges have been filed at this time as police are treating the collision as an accident.