2 O’Fallon motorcyclists killed within 4 hours. The year’s IL biker death toll at 27

May, which is designated as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, proved particularly fatal for bikers in Illinois.

Crashes have caused the deaths of 27 Illinois motorcyclists so far this year, according to state data. More than half of the crashes, 16, were reported by the state in May.

Deaths related to Illinois motorcycle crashes have risen each year since 2018. There were 118 motorcycle fatalities in 2018, 137 in 2019, 148 in 2020 and 167 in 2021.

Illinois joins Iowa and New Hampshire as the only states in the country with no type of legal helmet requirement. Missouri loosened its restrictions in 2020, and riders over the age of 26 are no longer required to wear helmets there.

Motorcycle fatalities increased by 33% in Missouri when helmet laws were relaxed, according to the state’s department of transportation. Similar data are not available in Illinois as the state has never passed a helmet requirement.

Although helmet-wearing is not mandated by law in Illinois and for many Missouri bikers, safety advocates and transportation departments strongly recommend their use.

Here’s information about 23 of this year’s motorcycle fatalities, including one with an O’Fallon, Ill., victim who died in Missouri. This story may be updated to include information about additional accidents. Details about some of the more recent crashes were not immediately available.

Where have Illinois motorcyclists died in 2022?

Missouri accident: May 31, Washington County: Jarrett Sarver, a 22 year old from O’Fallon, Ill., died in a three-motorcycle accident on Missouri 21 near Potosi. He was the second of two O’Fallon men to die from a motorcycle accident within 4 hours.

May 30, Jersey County: An 18-year-old man from O’Fallon died in a single-vehicle crash. Illinois State Police said he was riding his motorcycle on Illinois 100 and lost control of his bike. He swerved off the roadway and hit a guardrail. The victim’s name had been released by the local coroner by presstime.

May 28, Peoria: Harold Walters, 49, was killed in a single-motorcycle crash. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and toxicology is pending.

May 26, Lake County: Anthony Wasser, 38, died from injuries sustained from a motorcycle crash. The incident happened at Route 120 and Volo Village Road and it remains under investigation.

May 22, Tazewell County: Dennis Hilst, 67, died in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Towerline Road and Veterans Drive. According to police, the motorcycle was headed northbound when a car entered the roadway turning left. The motorcycle hit the car and the motorcyclist was ejected.

May 19, Vermilion County: One person was killed and three received non-life threatening injuries in an accident on I-74. Motorcyclist Timothy Davis, 28, was driving behind a Jeep and could not slow down quickly enough to avoid a collision. A woman and two children were in the vehicle, and they were transported to a local hospital.

May 16, Waukegan: A motorcyclist was killed after a crash with an ambulance which was transporting someone to the Vista Medical Center. A paramedic from the ambulance immediately provided aid to the motorcyclist, according to officials.

May 14, Mason County: Tammy Moore, 52, was a passenger killed in a crash that involved two motorcycles and one truck. The truck driver tried to make a left turn, and both motorcycles tried to pass. The motorcyclists were ejected, and Moore died. The other motorcyclist was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

May 12, South Chicago Heights: Robert Jackson, 29, was killed in an accident when he struck a car turning left onto American Plaza. The motorcyclist was driving southbound on Chicago Road.

May 11, Montgomery County: A two-vehicle crash resulted in the death of 49-year-old Ronald Schaaff. He was trying to pass another vehicle as a trailer was turning left. Schaaff was ejected from his motorcycle after colliding with the trailer.

May 9, Covington Township: Mark Thompson, 32, was killed when he collided with an SUV. The driver of the SUV was making a left turn when he hit Thompson and was cited for failure to yield to oncoming traffic.

May 6, near Collinsville: One motorcyclist died after turning into a median on an exit ramp from Interstate 55 northbound to Interstate 255 southbound, according to a police report on the incident. Dwayne Wendell, 73, was identified as the victim. The accident involved no other vehicles. The reason the driver turned into the median was not immediately clear.

May 2, Tazewell County: James King, 66, died when a car struck him from behind. Police said King had stopped on Route 26. The driver of the automobile that struck him was ticked for failing to reduce speed.

May 2, Des Plaines: A collision between a motorcycle and a dump truck resulted in the death of the motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, according to Rosemont Public Safety Department officials. The accident occurred at Mannheim Road and Touhy Avenue.

April 26, Chicago: A motorcyclist was pronounced dead at a hospital after losing control of his bike and striking a Honda Civic. The victim was identified as Jose Cisneros Guerrero, 49.

April 24, Peoria: Richard Sally, 38, was killed after colliding with a box truck and being run over by another motorcycle. The accident happened at the intersection of Knoxville Avenue and Hickory Grove Road.

April 23, Chicago: Taner Kapan, 25, was killed in a hit-and-run crash when the driver of a sedan BMW hit him. Witnesses said the driver abandoned the vehicle after grabbing a small child from the backseat. Kapan was the father of two children, ages 7 and 4.

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April 22, Steeleville: Two motorcyclists, the driver and one passenger, were killed. The victims were identified as Dakota Morrison, 26, and Diane Gilmer, 31. The police report said they were waiting at a stop sign at the intersection of Broadway Street and James Street when a motorist hit them.

April 2, Alton: A motorcyclist and a flat lumber truck were involved in an incident at East Broadway and Main Street. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead after being airlifted to Alton Memorial Hospital.

March 23, Wheaton: An 18-year-old died when his motorcycle crashed into an SUV near the intersection of Briarcliffe Boulevard and Butterfield Road.

March 21, Joliet: A 39-year-old man was killed when an automobile driver ran into his motorcycle as he was parked at a supermarket. According to Joliet police, the driver left the scene without offering assistance to the victim, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

March 21, near Dixmoor: One person died and another received non-life threatening injuries when a three-wheel motorcycle and a car crashed on I-57 near 147th Street.

March 15, Moline: Charlie Bailey, 33, was killed when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck hauling a box trailer. Bailey was ejected from the motorcycle, which burst into flames. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

What can be done to mitigate motorcycle crashes?

Safety advocates recommend motorcyclists wear protective gear to help avoid head-related injuries and fatalities. Automobile drivers should keep a 3- to 4-second distance between themselves and motorcycles and be aware brake lights may not flash when they slow down.

Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program Director Raymond Pierce said it is important to wear a helmet, even though it is not required by law in Illinois or Missouri.

“The biggest thing we hear is ‘It’s my choice. It’s my right. It’s not hurting anybody but me,’ when the reality is far from that. Because when a person is injured or killed, very rarely are we lone individuals,” Pierce said. “We have family members that count on us, we have family members that love us.”