Joshua Tidwell Killed in Motorcycle vs. Truck Accident in Bangor, ME

UPDATE (July 10, 2025): Recent reports have been released in the news which identify the motorcyclist who lost his life as a result of this truck accident as 41-year-old Joshua Tidwell. No additional information is currently available. Investigations continue.

Bangor, ME — June 20, 2025, a motorcyclist was killed due to a truck accident at approximately 4:00 p.m. along Burleigh Road.

According to authorities, the accident took place in the vicinity of the Bomarc Road and Burleigh Road intersection.

Details surrounding the accident remain scarce. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between an 18-wheeler and a motorcycle. Preliminary reports state that the motorcyclist sustained fatal injuries due to the wreck and was declared deceased at the scene. Additional information pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—is not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Crashes between motorcycles and 18-wheelers are almost always fatal for one simple reason: the size difference gives the rider little to no margin for error or survival. But size alone doesn’t explain how or why a collision happened. The real question is: what decisions led to both vehicles occupying the same space at the same time?

So far, we don’t know which direction either vehicle was traveling, who had the right of way, or whether either party made a critical mistake. That kind of ambiguity leaves a lot of room for assumption—and that’s exactly why a detailed investigation is necessary.

Motorcycles Are Vulnerable—But That Doesn’t Mean Invisible

Drivers of large trucks have a legal duty to remain aware of their surroundings, and that includes scanning for smaller vehicles like motorcycles. At intersections, where this crash reportedly occurred, that duty becomes even more important. Whether it was a left turn, a merge, or a crossing maneuver, the possibility of a visibility failure has to be taken seriously.

Key issues that must be resolved through evidence include:

• Was the truck turning across the motorcycle’s path?
• Was the rider passing, merging, or stopped at the time of the collision?
• Were line-of-sight conditions compromised by signage, foliage, or the roadway layout?

Those aren’t academic questions. I’ve handled cases where a truck driver claimed not to have seen a motorcycle, only for dash cam footage to show it was plainly visible for several seconds—if the driver had been paying attention.

Time, Distance, and Reaction Matter

If the motorcyclist was approaching at a high speed, the truck driver may not have had time to react—but again, that can be measured. If the truck pulled out or turned into the rider’s path, investigators can work backward from skid marks, point of impact, and black box data to calculate closing speed and available reaction time. That kind of reconstruction can make the difference between a claim of “I didn’t see them” and a finding that the driver didn’t look.

And even if the truck had the right of way, that doesn’t automatically eliminate responsibility. If the driver was distracted, fatigued, or making an aggressive maneuver, those decisions matter—especially when they involve sharing the road with vehicles as vulnerable as motorcycles.

Key Takeaways:

• It remains unclear who had the right of way or how the truck and motorcycle ended up colliding at the intersection.
• Truck drivers are responsible for accounting for smaller, less visible vehicles—especially at intersections.
• Key evidence like dash cam footage, black box data, and skid marks will determine timing, visibility, and fault.
• “I didn’t see them” is not a defense if evidence shows the motorcycle was visible and the driver failed to look or yield.
• A full investigation is required to determine whether this was a case of driver inattention, unsafe maneuvering, or some combination of both.