Cyclist seriously hurt in U-turn accident
Staff writer
A 50-year-old rural Hillsboro man was seriously injured when he was thrown off his motorcycle after it collided with a car making a U-turn at 5:53 p.m. Monday near the Adobe House Museum.
Cyclist Louis J. Simmons Jr. was taken to Hillsboro Community Hospital and then transferred on an emergency basis to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
At the scene, he complained of rib, knee, elbow, pelvis, and ankle injuries.
According to Hillsboro officer David Funk’s report, Simmons had been riding north of Birch St. south of D St. His speed was undetermined.
Witnesses who had been removing flags at Memorial Park told Funk the motorcycle had not been speeding. Funk observed that it still was in first gear but that the speedometer was stuck at 30 mph. Speed limit on the street is 15 mph.
James R. Hefley, 72, Hillsboro, had parked his south-facing 2005 Lexus LS34 on the west side of the street and was making a U-turn to head north when his Lexus and Simmons’ 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail collided in the northbound lane.
Simmons was thrown over the hood of Hefley’s car and rolled onto the pavement. He was lying on his back, in front of the car and motorcycle, with his feet pointing away from them when Funk arrived.
The left front of the Harley sustained what Funk described as disabling damage. The right front on the Lexus also was damaged, but the car remained functional.
Funk’s report did not fault Hefley or Simmons, and no tickets were issued.