An 81-year-old Cedar Hill man was thrown from a motorcycle he was riding after he reportedly swerved to miss a vehicle driving in front of him on Hwy. 67 before hit the back of a car. The accident happened north of I-55 in Festus, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
At about 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, Leonard D. Ellia was riding a 2011 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide south on the highway. He reportedly was unable to see a vehicle in front of him on the highway because of the glare from the sun and swerved to avoid hitting it, the report said.
The motorcycle then hit a southbound 2019 Dodge Challenger driven south by Timothy R. Minton, 43, of Park Hills, and Ellia was ejected from the Harley-Davidson, according to the report.
Ellia was moderately injured and taken by Joachim-Plattin to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County, where his condition was not listed, a hospital spokesman said.
According to the report, Ellia was not wearing a helmet, or at least not a Department of Transportation-approved helmet. Minton was wearing a seat belt.
The motorcycle was totaled, and the Challenger was moderately damaged, the report said.