By TVBikerDad.com
What began as an apparent road-rage confrontation between a semi-truck driver and a motorcyclist ended with the rider dead — and investigators say the truck driver fled the scene.
Timothy William Arthur Hall, 33, of Emlerton, Pennsylvania, is facing two felony counts of criminal vehicular homicide following the August 20 crash on Highway 371 in Cass County, Minnesota.
The victim, Roy John Berger, 30, of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, was killed after his motorcycle struck a cable barrier and was then run over by the semi.
Investigators Say Road Rage Triggered Deadly Crash
According to the criminal complaint, the incident appears to have started when Berger attempted to pass Hall’s southbound semi.
Witnesses told investigators that Hall allegedly responded by swerving his tractor-trailer toward the motorcycle, apparently attempting to prevent Berger from getting around the truck.
The motorcycle moved toward the shoulder, where investigators say Hall again maneuvered the semi toward the rider.
The motorcycle ultimately struck the cable barrier.
Investigators say the semi then ran over the motorcycle and rider.
But according to authorities, the driver did not stop.
Truck Driver Allegedly Fled
Instead of remaining at the scene after the deadly crash, Hall allegedly continued driving away in the semi.
Minnesota State Patrol investigators later located the truck and stopped Hall.
Investigators reportedly found damage to the semi consistent with the collision, along with what appeared to be possible human remains or bodily material on a mud flap.
The trucking company also provided investigators with onboard camera footage.
Dashcam Allegedly Captured the Road-Rage Encounter
Investigators reviewing the footage allegedly saw the semi make a sudden maneuver toward the motorcycle as Berger attempted to pass.
When Berger moved toward the right shoulder, investigators say Hall then made another maneuver toward the cable barrier.
The truck crossed the solid white line and moved toward the area where the motorcycle ultimately crashed.
Investigators reportedly found no obvious road hazard or obstruction that would explain the truck’s sudden movements.
The allegations paint a disturbing picture: a dispute over passing allegedly escalated into a dangerous confrontation between a motorcycle and a fully loaded commercial truck.
One Rider Dead
Berger was killed in the crash.
Hall has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
For motorcyclists, the case is another sobering reminder of what can happen when an ordinary traffic disagreement turns into road rage involving a vehicle weighing tens of thousands of pounds.
A motorcycle has virtually no protection against a tractor-trailer — and a deliberate lateral move by a semi can leave a rider with nowhere to go.
A disagreement over who gets to pass should never become a fight for survival.
TVBikerDad.com will continue following this case as it moves through the Minnesota court system.