A family returning from church Sunday afternoon discovered the body of a man who was killed when his motorcycle ran off the roadway – the victim lying in the woods for what lawmen believe was a couple days.
The victim, Roy Thomas Weddington, 52, likely died late Thursday night or Friday morning, investigators believe, when he crashed his motorcycle on a remote stretch of Jacksboro Road (Highway 287) about two miles from Morrison.
Evidence at the scene suggests Weddington was traveling north on Jacksboro Road when he lost control of his 2001 Yamaha while negotiating a curve. The motorcycle then hit a ditch and three trees, throwing the rider from the seat and into a wooded area about 15 feet off the road.
The motorcycle, which was in several pieces from the force of impact, was barely noticeable from the road. A family which was returning from church noticed a single wheel near the road and decided to stop to investigate. Upon looking into the weeds, one of the family members saw other parts of the motorcycle and then, following the debris trial, found the body of Weddington lying just inside the wooded area which had obstructed his body from view.
Weddington, who was wearing a helmet, is the second Warren County man to die on a motorcycle under similar circumstances in a matter of days. Since investigators don’t know an exact time for either crash, the two motorcycle accidents could have happened the same day.
William Dyle II, 41, was found dead Thursday by people out for a morning walk just outside Smithville city limits. Lawmen there believe Dyle may have crashed his motorcycle the night before and was not found until daylight.