Charges After Truck Makes U-Turn, Fatally Crashes Into Motorcycle

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte police have charged the driver of a pickup truck with a list of multiple offenses after he made a U-turn into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist, killing the driver Sunday evening.

The Jan. 27 crash occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on Central Avenue at Lansdale Drive, according to a police report.

The motorcyclist, identified by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as Miguel Angel Linarte Jacome, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 4600 block of Central Avenue.

According to a police account of the incident, the driver of the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado truck — who was identified as Jose Rodrigo Barajas Diaz, 37, made a U-turn from the inbound lanes of Central Avenue into the path of the motorcycle, which was traveling in the outbound lanes. The motorcyclist struck the right front side of the truck, CMPD said.

Diaz, who remained on the scene following the crash, was charged with felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, open container after consuming, no operator license and a safe movement violation.

CMPD said the crash remains under investigation and asks that anyone with information about contact Officer Kupfer at 704-432-2169.

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Photo via Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office