The driver of the motorcycle, Zachary D. Nelson, 28, of Middletown, also was flown by medical helicopter to Miami Valley where he was listed in good condition Friday, July 30.
Middletown police Detective Jerry Mossman said that Nelson’s hospitalization has prevented him from conducting a final interview but that charges are pending against him.
“The accident scene was over 1,000 feet long,” Mossman said. “If they had had helmets, leathers and such on they would have maybe walked away.”
Police said Nelson was traveling at least 100 mph eastbound on Roosevelt Boulevard on his 2007 Suzuki motorcycle when he apparently swerved and struck a median on Highland Street.
The bike hit the median with such force that it severed the back tire from the vehicle and caught fire. Officers on patrol spotted the flaming bike and followed the debris to the “severely mangled” victims on Carolina Street, according to Detective Steve Winters.
Watkins leaves behind a son, Colin William Watkins. Funeral services are at 10 a.m. today at the Stratford Heights Church Of God, 4419 Nelson Road, Middletown. Interment will follow at Butler County Memorial Park in Trenton. Memorial contributions may be made to the family in care of Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown, OH 45044.
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