On Monday, June 13th motorcyclist Damian Taylor was knocked off his 1982 Suzuki by an unidentified car, succumbing to blunt force trauma injuries and passing away shortly after. Police were seeking help tracking down the driver involved, and after a few days of searching seem to have done so.
WYFF says Taylor was 37 years old, and unfortunately not wearing a helmet when the crash took place. That was obviously a poor decision on his part, but does not excuse the driver who hit him and left him from responsibility.
[Update: as of Friday June 17th, police have arrested a suspect after a trooper spotted a “small white sedan” that must have been showing the damage indicated here (missing hubcap, taillight.)]
From WYFF:
“Highway Patrol Cpl. Bill Rhyne said Anthony Shearn, 25, was arrested early Friday morning after troopers saw a car matching the description of the hit-and-run vehicle on I-85 near the scene of the collision.”
“Troopers say Shearn was driving a 2013 Kia Monday that collided with a motorcycle.”
For everyone who guessed Kia Forte, it looks like you nailed it.
The crash is said to have taken place at around 6:20 a.m. Monday, on I-85 in South Carolina’s Greenville County at mile marker 48. So far reports suggest the car involved was a small white sedan, some calling it “either a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic.”
A Jalopnik reader who works at a local Toyota shop told me that police brought these parts in in the hopes of identifying the car. Many of you checked these out and pegged it as a Kia, which turned out to be correct.
There was almost total consensus among Jalopnik commenters that these parts belonged to a 2010's Kia Forte. We passed along your observations to both the South Carolina police and the Iron Horse motorcycle law firm which had also expressed interest in bringing the suspect to justice.
We also passed the information along to the reader who sent in these images who had been in direct contact with the police. They then told me that a suspect had been apprehended in a “chance sighting” but that the police were grateful for our assistance nonetheless.
Thanks to all who participated! And congratulations, you are very good at calling cars!