A family has been urging drivers to pay attention after a motorcyclist was killed following an accident in May.
Gary White Jr. was on his motorcycle the afternoon of May 18 when he was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of Dellrose Drive and Cottage Lane.
A police report stated that the driver of the pickup truck was traveling on Dellrose Drive when she collided into White who was approaching from Cottage Lane.
The investigating officer said it was probable for the driver to have rolled the stop sign. It was determined that she failed to yield the right of way which resulted in death.
White suffered a severe trauma to the head and died from his injuries a week later.
"We're doing as well as we can be given the situation. We have a lot of questions and we are hurting," Elizabeth Daly, White's sister, told NewsChannel 5. "He was always smiling, always there to help somebody, and was just full of life."
Several family members and friends laid flowers near the crash site over the weekend.
White was a father of three and was a registrar at Lincoln Tech, according to the family.
"The feeling and the hurt never goes away," Tim Hollis, White's brother, added.
In Tennessee, failing to yield the right of way which results in death is a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable by a $500 fine. The court could also revoke the driver's license for up to a year.
"That's not justice for taking my brother's life or taking anyone's life," Daly said.
Daly started an online petition through change.org asking for stricter penalties and to raise awareness about motorcycle safety.
As of Sunday, there were close to 1,500 signatures. She would like to present the petition to a lawmaker.
While the family understands that the petition may not bring a major change, they would like drivers to know the consequences of their actions if they do not pay attention behind the wheel.
"Please pay attention," Hollis said. "Just know the severity and penalties behind your actions."
So far in 2017, there have been 61 motorcycle-related fatalities, according to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
The number has surpassed 2016's total of 60.
To learn more about the petition, click on this link.
