Motorcyclist Killed in Collision With 18-Wheeler in Arlington

Overview

• Arlington police responded to a crash on the 3900 block of Avenue E East around 9 p.m. when a motorcycle struck the side of an 18-wheeler as the truck turned from a store parking lot.
• The rider was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as Luis A. Mendez, 47, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
• Mendez and a female passenger were ejected from the bike; the passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and declined hospital transport.
• Officers said the truck driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who described the turning/curve sequence and do not expect criminal charges as the inquiry continues.
• Police noted the rider was not wearing a helmet, a factor that raises fatality risk in motorcycle crashes and highlights the collision pattern between large vehicles and motorcycles on curved approaches.