A driver is sentenced to 25 years behind bars for a double motorcycle fatality. On Monday, November 7th, a judge in Polk County sentenced Quntonio Herron to more than two decades in prison. Herron pleaded guilty to the following offenses: fleeing the scene of a fatal collision, serious injury due to his vehicle, and double counts of vehicular homicide. Victims Jerry Cole, 51, and Kristy Hyde, 47, were hit and killed on May 4th, 2021 while riding their motorcycle in the Des Moines area.
The family members of the victims spoke out about the damage done to their families. Relatives state that they experienced added anguish, particularly when the daughter of Kristy Hyde graduated shortly thereafter without her mother’s presence, then had to get through Mother’s Day just a couple weeks later. Another of Hyde’s daughters expressed her devastation after learning at the hospital that her mother passed away, and having to tell Hyde’s grandchildren that their cherished grandmother was no longer here.
The sister of Jerry Cole, Stacey Coles-Behles, was riding her own motorcycle next to them when it happened and was severely injured in the crash. She spoke at the trial hearing that due to being in the ICU, she was unable to attend her brother and best friend’s funeral service, and did not learn about her best friend’s death until after the funeral. Coles-Behles continues to have a difficult recovery, having been mostly limited to a wheelchair, walker, or bedbound, and underwent several surgeries in addition to arduous physical therapy. Even after more than a year later, she continues to feel the effects of her injuries, and is likely to for the rest of her lifetime.
As a Des Moines IA motorcycle accident lawyer from Des Moines Injury Law has seen before, motorcycle accidents can result in immense tragedy, serious physical injury, and deep heartache. The driver in the case above was found to have been speeding and driving his vehicle with a suspended license at the time of the accident, but claims he never intended to hurt anyone. Our team is well aware that as a motorcyclist, the main danger on the roadway is car drivers. Motorcyclists do not have a protective shield to deflect impact if a collision were to ensue. Car drivers must always be mindful of the potential presence of motorcyclists. If they don’t, then they may find themselves at-fault for a disaster that could have been prevented.
Whether you or someone you care about was injured in a recent motorcycle accident, we strongly encourage you to come forward and speak with us. Victims of motorcycle crashes may be owed restitution for what they have been through. Families of a motorcyclist who died wrongfully in an accident can take legal action against the offending driver for the loss of life. We hope that if you are going through a situation like this right now, that you turn to our law firm for help. We’re just a call away.
