Klamath County, OR — May 3, 2025, Terryl Ball was killed in a truck accident at about 12:20 p.m. on State Route 58 at Crescent Lake Highway.

Authorities said a Yamaha TW200 motorcycle was turning off Crescent Lake Highway when it crashed into the side of a Freightliner semi-truck.

Motorcyclist Terryl Thomas Ball, 47, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. The truck driver was not injured.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Klamath County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a motorcyclist turning onto a highway crashes into the side of a semi-truck, the immediate legal questions focus on right-of-way and visibility. In this Klamath County crash, where a Yamaha TW200 rider lost his life at the intersection of State Route 58 and Crescent Lake Highway, it’s critical to determine who had the legal obligation to yield, and whether either party had enough time to react.

On paper, motorcycle riders are expected to follow the same rules of the road as any other motorist. But in practice, they face serious disadvantages, particularly when it comes to being seen. A turning rider, especially one on a smaller dual-sport motorcycle like a TW200, may be less visible to oncoming or crossing traffic. However, that doesn’t relieve a truck driver of their own duty to scan intersections and maintain a safe speed for prevailing conditions.

Depending on the layout of the intersection, the key question becomes who was in the intersection first and whether either vehicle was going too fast for the driver or rider to safely react. Truck drivers operating in mountainous or forested terrain, like parts of Klamath County, should anticipate limited sight lines, especially at uncontrolled or rural intersections. They’re also expected to know that motorcycles may approach or enter the road from less-visible side roads.

Conversely, if the motorcyclist misjudged the speed or distance of the truck before turning, that could be a critical factor as well. It’s not uncommon for riders to underestimate the closing speed of a large truck, particularly one that may appear to be farther away than it actually is due to its size.

At this point, we can’t know whether this was a tragic miscalculation or a preventable failure to yield. But what’s clear is that motorcycle-versus-truck collisions are rarely survivable. That's why investigators will need to determine where the truck was relative to the intersection when the motorcycle entered it, whether either vehicle had the legal right-of-way and whether the truck driver had the time and space to avoid the collision once it became clear a conflict was about to occur.

In crashes like this, assumptions about visibility, speed and distance can be fatal. Getting to the truth will require a close look at the physical evidence, possible witness statements and data from the truck’s engine control module to determine what actions were taken before the crash. Because when two vastly unequal vehicles meet at an intersection, one mistake is often all it takes to end someone’s life.