JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - A southwest Missouri man is dead after his motorcycle was hit from behind by a Newton County deputy who was responding to an emergency call.
The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/OyGbXQ) reports 33-year-old Cory Sheppard of Neosho was southbound on Gateway Drive about a mile south of Joplin when Sgt. David Trimble struck him from behind just before 9 p.m. Friday.
Sheriff Ken Copeland says Trimble was driving with his vehicle's full lights and sirens on when he hit Sheppard's motorcycle. Trimble, a nine-year veteran of the department, has been placed on paid administrative leave, but Copeland says the incident looks like a tragic accident.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.