A 24-year-old Bel Air man was killed Tuesday morning after his motorcycle collided with a Harford County work vehicle on Harford Road, police said, one day after the formation of a local law enforcement agency task force aimed at curbing severe traffic crashes.
Samuel Agostini, 24, of the 300 block of Locust Lane in Bel Air was southbound on Harford Road near Reckord Road at approximately 10:51 a.m. when his Suzuki motorcycle crested a hill and crashed into the driver’s side rear tire of a “Harford County Highways dump truck” which was already crossing Harford Road on Reckord Road, according to Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Monica Worrell.
Worrell said witnesses at the scene told deputies that the motorcycle had been speeding and crossing the double yellow line before the accident. Investigators determined that Agostini was unable to avoid the dump truck due to the high speed he was traveling at the time.
Agostini was flown to the R Adams Cowley University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries, police said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after 12:30 p.m., Worrell said.
The driver of the dump truck, William Roland, 56, of Darlington, was uninjured. The motorcycle came to rest under a third vehicle, a Subaru sedan driven by Richard Burns, 62, of Kingsville, but Burns was not injured, police said.
Portions of Reckord Road, as well as Harford Road from the Baltimore County line to just below Mountain Road, were closed while members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit investigated the crash. The roads had been reopened by 2:15 p.m.
The accident came one day after the formal announcement of the Harford County Traffic Task Force, an arrangement between local law enforcement agencies to increase traffic enforcement efforts and prevent serious auto accidents around the county.
The accident was also the second fatal crash in two months involving a county vehicle. On May 8, a Harford County Public Schools work vehicle crossed the center line of Mountain Road, triggering a three-vehicle crash which killed two people, including the driver of the school vehicle.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the age of the motorcyclist was incorrect due to information provided by the Sheriff’s Office. The story has been updated with the correct age.
From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office:
[June 27, 2012, Fallston, MD] — On Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at approximately 10:51am, Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies and emergency service personnel responded to the intersection of Route 147 (Harford Road) and Reckord Road for a motor vehicle crash involving a Harford County Highway’s Dump Truck and a 2002 Suzuki motorcycle.
The motorcycle, operated by Samuel Agostini, age 24 of the 300 block of Locust Lane in Bel Air, MD was traveling southbound on Harford Road when it struck the rear tire on the driver’s side of a Harford County Highway’s dump truck driven by William Roland, age 56, of Darlington MD. According to witnesses, the motorcycle had been traveling along Harford Road at a high rate of speed, and crossing the center double yellow line to pass vehicles. After the motorcycle crested the hill, it struck the dump truck which was already in process of crossing the intersection of Harford Road and Reckord Rd. Investigation determined that the motorcycle was unable to avoid colliding into the dump truck due to the high rate of speed it had been traveling. Agostini was fully ejected from the Suzuki motorcycle coming to rest slightly in front of a third vehicle. A 2003 Subaru sedan, operated by Richard Burns, age 62 of Kingsville, MD, which was stopped at the Reckord Road stop sign, at the time of the crash.
Samuel Agostini, operator of the motorcycle, was transported to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center by Maryland State Police Trooper 1 with serious life threatening injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital shortly before 12:30pm.
So unnecessary.
So the dumptruck pulled out in front of him? The sentence isn’t the most clear but that’s what I take from it. Terrible shame for all involved. My thoughts and prayers to all.
It sounds like the dump truck was already in the process of completing its crossing of the road when the motorcycle came upon it at a high rate of speed. It sounds like had the motorcycle been traveling the posted speed limit it could have stopped.
the boy your talking about is my friend and his funeral is tomarrow, they dagger press has it all screwed up and doesnt have the facts or story straight, this is what had happen dump truck was in front of the bike and the biker was doing high rate of speed and tried cross yellow double line when he reached peak by the hill he mis judge the timing and smacked the dump truck tire which then ejected him off the bike landing in front of another vehicle there was no way the accident could had been prevented he was pronounced dead upon arriving at shock trauma, yes he should not had been speeding and im sure we say this all to bikers that we see and crazy things they do, but no matter what nothing will change way biker drives until they laid it down or they dead then they cant think at all, BUT SAM YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FOREVER MISSED
Christina: The Dagger gets it’s reports directly from the Sheriff’s Office. If you have a gripe, take it to them, not The Dagger.
longest run-on sentence in history?
It couldn’t be prevented? what? The police report is different than what you are saying and agrees with the dagger. However, even in your story the biker was speeding and illegally tried to pass on a blind road.
WHAT,
DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHO WAS RIGHT? A YOUNG MAN LOST HIS LIFE DUE TO A HUMAN ERROR. I TAUGHT SAM AND HIS BROTHER AND MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY. PLEASE SHOW SOME COMPASSION.
It does matter who was right because this is a perfect example of a horrific incident that could have been avoided. This wasn’t human error. Human error is thinking you have enough time to make the yellow light and you don’t and you end up running a red. Human error is thinking you have enough money for a soda and you 25 cents short. This was totally wanton and reckless behavior. How do you think the poor truck driver feels? He just witnessed a human life lost indirectly because of him and it is an awful feeling. The only positive in all of this is that no innocent people were hurt or killed during this. Oh, and if your curious, do a case search on the “victim” and you’ll find this wasn’t his first go at recklessness.
I’m sorry but there was an innocent life taken regardless if he was driving “reckless.” I am sure you all have done stupid and reckless things when you were his age. At the end of the day, this was someone’s son, grandson, nephew, cousin and such. Have some respect for the dead!!! Yes, he was driving too fast, crossing double yellow lines, etc – and yes it was his fault, but if he was in a car — he would still be here. As for the “victim”, he was found guilt of driving a motorcycle without a motorcycle’s license. There are plenty of young men that have done this. Notice – drugs and alcohol were not involved!
yup, no drugs and alcohol, just stupidity. this kid deserves a Darwin award.
I guess you all are perfect and never have done anything stupid!! I hope you don’t have a friend or child that has been killed — say things like this. You know karma is a (you fill in the blank)!!!
There is a huge difference between childhood stupidity and driving south in the north lane on a narrow roadway during high volume traffic periods. I’m not going to join the screaming “oh the poor innocent victim” crowd because he wasn’t an innocent victim. Was it tragic? Of course, but it was 100% preventable. It is blame shifting that allows people to continue to act the way they do, with end results like this.
The sad part is there are a lot young adults that have done the same thing, but are just lucky to not have got caught or killed YET. Unfortunately, he was not thinking and driving safe. But if you really think about there is a lot of people who drive reckless now. This should be a wake up call to everyone to drive safely. Yes, this could have been prevented. His family and friends are grieving. All I am saying is think about what you say if this was your son or family member or friend.
Stupid? Yes, but he paid for it with his life. Reckless? Absolutely.
I am sorry for the family and their loss. I am sorry for the driver of the dump truck who was not at fault but, along with the other witnesses, will see this horrific scene played out in their mind probably for the rest of their lives.
I haven’t heard or read one person saying that they haven’t often seen motorcycle riders doing this very thing. When will they learn? What will it take for them to learn? Young men who believe they are immortal riding on a motorcycle is too often a very deadly combination.