York County, SC — May 1, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 1:15 a.m. on State Highway 161 at St. James Church Road.

Authorities said a motorcycle was heading south near York when a semi-truck turned in front of it from St. James Church Road. The motorcycle crashed into the driver's side of the truck.

The motorcyclist, whose name has not been made public yet, died after being transported to a Charlotte hospital, according to authorities.

The truck driver was not injured in the crash, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the York County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

When a semi-truck turns across the path of an oncoming motorcycle, the core legal issue is whether the truck driver failed to yield the right of way and made a turn without ensuring the lane was clear. That kind of failure is particularly dangerous when it involves a motorcyclist, who has far less margin for error and a much higher risk of serious injury or death in any collision with a large commercial vehicle.

At an intersection like State Highway 161 and St. James Church Road, the expectation is that any driver entering or crossing a highway must wait until it's completely safe to do so. For commercial truck drivers, the standard is even higher. Before turning onto a highway, they’re required to carefully assess the speed and distance of oncoming traffic, account for the time it takes to clear the intersection, and recognize the presence of smaller vehicles, such as motorcycles, which are more difficult to spot but no less entitled to the road.

The fact that the motorcycle struck the driver’s side of the truck suggests the rider had the right of way and had little time, or no time, to react once the truck entered the highway. That scenario often reflects a misjudgment on the truck driver’s part, either in failing to see the motorcycle or in underestimating how quickly it was approaching. Neither explanation aligns with the standard of care the law demands from commercial operators.

While investigators will look into the motorcyclist’s speed, lighting and lane position, it’s important to remember that even if a motorcycle was approaching faster than expected, a commercial driver must not proceed with a turn unless there is enough time to complete it safely. When that judgment fails, and the result is a fatal crash, liability often follows.

This incident highlights the disproportionate risk motorcyclists face when others don’t exercise proper caution at intersections. But more than that, it underscores the responsibility that comes with driving a commercial truck: to make decisions that account for every vehicle on the road, not just the easiest ones to see. When that doesn’t happen, the consequences are often immediate, and irreversible.