Neil "Pat" Bunch, aka Cotton or RedBy Janet Kim
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. – A motorcyclist was killed early Tuesday morning after a collision with a semi-truck on a busy highway in Goodlettsville.
The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Louisville Highway/31W, near Long Drive. Police said the semi-truck pulled in the lane of the motorcyclist, and the motorcyclist struck the side of the truck.
The motorcyclist, identified as 51-year-old Neil "Pat" Bunch, died on the scene. The truck driver was not injured.
Police said the overnight rain certainly did not help.
"If there was any role in the weather, it might just been simply visibility. It's fairly dark up in this area, and not a lot of street lighting," said Goodlettsville Police Chief Richard Pope. "In this case, the truck driver did not even see the motorcyclist and when he made the turn, that's when the motorcyclist struck him in the driver's side right at the gas tank."
Louisville Highway remained closed until 6 a.m. while crews worked to drain the fuel tank of the truck.
Police said they did not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, but tests were pending.
They do not anticipate any criminal charges against the truck driver.
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