Published: July 19, 2008 12:19 am            

Man killed in motorcycle accident

Name of arrested driver released

Ashland — One man was killed, another arrested and a 12-year-old boy was seriously injured in an accident in front of Oakview Elementary School on Friday night.

The accident involving an older model Ford pickup truck and a motorcycle occurred shortly after 9 p.m. on Blackburn Avenue.

The driver of the truck, 21-year-old Billy J. Barker, was arrested at the scene and faces charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants.

According to Ashland Police Capt. Todd Kelley, the truck, which was traveling west on Blackburn, crossed the center line and struck a motorcycle traveling east. A man was driving the motorcyle and a 12-year-old boy was riding on the back.

The pickup came to a rest in the side yard of a home across from the school, while the motorcycle lay in the grass behind the truck.

The man driving the cycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy suffered multiple injuries and was transported by helicopter to a Huntington hospital. No information about his condition was available at press time.

Keith Parsons, an investigator with the Boyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, was at the scene gathering information. Police said additional charges may be filed against Barker. After being placed in police custody, he was taken to King’s Daughters Medical Center for testing and treatment.

Police did not release the names of the victims, awaiting notification of next of kin. Witnesses at the scene identified the deceased as Russ Bellomy of Ashland and the passenger as his grandson, Kristoffer Callaway, a student at Rose Hill Christian School. He suffered severe leg injuries and was still in St. Mary's hospital on Saturday morning.

Mary Moore, a passenger in a vehicle riding behind the Ford truck, witnessed the horrific accident.

"He (the driver of the truck) went off the road, overcorrected and collided with the motorcycle," she said. "He didn't seem to be speeding but he lost control. We were right behind him. When they hit it was a loud crash. The motorcycle driver's helmet came off. The driver of the truck got out and went over to the injured people. He was yelling 'Please, are you all right?'''

After the driver of the vehicle Moore was riding in pulled over, she got out of the car and went over to the scene to see if she could offer any assistance until emergency responders arrived.

"It really happened fast," Moore said. "I went over and thought 'I'm just going to start praying for people.'''

Police arrived minutes later.

        

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