Tyler motorcyclist dies in 2-vehicle crash on Loop 49

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A preliminary investigation has confirmed that a two-vehicle crash on Toll 49 near Tyler resulted in the death of a motorcyclist on Thursday.

According to a report, by the Texas Department of Public Safety, at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, DPS troopers responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Toll 49, approximately a half a mile east of Tyler in Smith County. The investigators’ preliminary report indicates that the driver of a 1998 Kawasaki motorcycle and the driver of a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, were both traveling westbound on Toll 49. The driver of the Chevrolet made an illegal U-turn, causing the motorcycle to strike the side of the truck.

The driver of the motorcycle was identified as Christopher Lee Eickenhorst, 40, of Tyler. Eickenhorst was pronounced at the scene.

The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as Jamal Russell, 30, of Jacksonville. Russell does not show to have been injured in the crash.

Previous reporting:

Fatal crash closes Toll 49 between Broadway and Paluxy in Tyler