SAN ANTONIO – A motorcyclist who was killed in a rush-hour crash Wednesday morning on Interstate 10 near La Cantera Parkway was speeding, police said.
Witnesses told investigators they saw the biker enter the highway around 7 a.m. and make several lane changes before the motorcycle went down, police said.
The victim was thrown from his motorcycle about 100 feet, police said.
"Somewhere, he lost control," said Sgt. James Lint, of the San Antonio Police Department. "When he flew off the motorcycle, he ended up striking a guardrail."
Police at the scene initially said the biker appeared to have clipped the back of a van while going around it, but Lint later said he wasn't sure whether the van was involved.
Lint said the driver appears to have been one of several people who witnessed the crash.
"(The biker) was wearing a helmet, but if you're at a high rate of speed, even having a helmet, and you strike a guardrail, it can be pretty unforgiving," Lint said.
He said it doesn't appear anyone else was to blame for the crash and the biker was traveling too fast for the road conditions when he headed into a construction zone where the speed limit was reduced to 60 mph.
"On I-10, particularly with the construction and the amount of vehicles coming in, it's one of the most congested areas that we have in town," Lint said.
The crash only added to usual rush-hour backup.
Drivers were forced to slow down considerably as they traveled through the area.