A man from Lexington was killed in a motorcycle accident that happened on Sunset Boulevard.

Details about the Fatal Motorcycle Accident

WFXG News is reporting that a man from Lexington was killed when he was riding his motorcycle that collided with a vehicle on Sunset Boulevard on Thursday afternoon.

According to police, the accident involving the motorcycle and the vehicle happened on Sunset Boulevard near the Walmart at about 5 p.m. on Thursday. A passenger who was on the motorcycle died at the scene of the accident, while the driver of the motorcycle was taken to the Palmetto Health Richland with life-threatening injuries. Police further stated that neither of the motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

The victim has been identified by the Lexington County Coroner as 29-year-old Mark Christopher Wheaton, of Lexington. Wheaton was the passenger on the motorcycle at the time of the accident.

Police from Lexington say that the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s MAIT Team were on the scene of the accident on Friday in order to conduct their investigation into the accident. At this time, there is not available information on the condition of the motorcycle driver who was sent to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Important Information about Motorcycle Accidents

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are thousands of wrongful deaths of motorcyclists every year in the United States:

• In 2014, there were a total of 4,295 motorcyclists who were killed in 2014.
• During the same year, motorcycle fatalities accounted for a total of 13 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities.
• Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle fatalities during accidents.