GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -
A 51-year-old motorcyclist was killed Tuesday morning when his bike collided with a semi-truck in Goodlettsville.
The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. on Louisville Highway, also known as U.S. Highway 31W, north of Interstate 65.
Goodlettsville police told Nashville's News 2 Neil "Pat" Bunch, of Goodlettsville, died on the scene. The truck driver was not injured.
"[The truck driver] was turning around," Goodlettsville Police Chief Richard Pope said. "It's a bobtail. It does not have a trailer on it. He did not see the motorcycle at all until the impact occurred."
The roadway was shut down for more than five hours.
Investigators did not immediately know if speed or weather were factors in the crash.
They do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved.
"At this point, there won't be any charges against the [truck driver] unless something else comes up in our preliminary investigation, but we will be doing toxicology on both drivers," Chief Pope said.
Bunch's death marks the 73rd motorcycle-involved traffic fatality this year.
In May, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Highway Safety began posting traffic fatality numbers on overhead highway message boards in an effort to draw attention to the rising number.
By that time, 2012 statistics were quickly surpassing 2011 statistics. Since then, the numbers have continued to climb, but are in line with last year.
Of the 517 fatalities this year, 72 of those involved motorcycles, compared to the same period last year when 60 of 480 highway deaths were motorcycle-related. Tuesday morning's fatal crash did not immediately reflect among those numbers.
The overhead message signs were active Tuesday night, with the number of motorcycle fatalities for the year posted.
