Beloved Middle School Coach Struck, Killed while on Motorcycle

According to the Fayetteville Observer, a 43-year-old motorcyclist sustained fatal injuries after a crash with another vehicle in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on Thursday night.

Well-loved Teacher, Football and Baseball Coach

Michael Kile Burks traveled northbound on Cumberland Road at around 6:53 p.m. when the accident occurred. A man in a Honda was traveling southbound and turned left into a Family Dollar store without yielding to oncoming traffic, including Burks.

Burks collided with the vehicle, ejecting off the motorcycle and sustaining severe head trauma. According to the Fayetteville Observer, Burks received treatment at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center before succumbing to his injuries.

Burks, a physical education instructor, coached baseball and football at Hope Mills Middle School. A friend said Burks had all the qualities you’d want in a kid’s coach.

The driver of the Honda, 36-year-old Christopher Hansford Hamilton, is facing a misdemeanor death by vehicle charge, according to the Fayetteville Observer. The fatal wreck continues to be under investigation.

Motorcycle Crash Statistics

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 4,295 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2014. Here are additional statistics regarding motorcycle crashes:

• Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.
• Only 19 states and the District of Columbia require helmet use by all riders.
• Motorcycle deaths accounted for 13 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2014.