Blount County man thrown from motorcycle and killed by oncoming traffic after collision with animal

From Tribune staff reports

BLOUNT COUNTY – A crash involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian occurred around 8:55 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, and claimed the life of an Oneonta man, according to Senior Police Officer Vu Quang of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

“Gary L. Wilkerson, 67, was fatally injured when he was struck by the 2017 Toyota Camry driven by Matthew W. Dempsey, 52, of Oneonta,” Quang said. “Wilkerson, who was originally riding a 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King, collided with an animal in the roadway and was ejected from the motorcycle into the oncoming lane. Wilkerson was pronounced dead at the scene.”

The accident occurred on Blount County 12, about twelve kilometers south of Oneonta in Blount County.

No further information is available as ALEA Highway Patrol Division officers continue their investigation.