Gregory Lee Helton, a 39-year-old U.S. Marine Major, was killed in a San Bernardino motorcycle accident on Highway 62 the night of April 28, 2009, the Riverside Press Enterprise reports. Helton of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Helton was traveling west on the Highway 62 when his Harley Davidson motorcycle collision happened. The motorcycle collided with a 2004 Chevy Malibu driven by 18-year-old Desirre Dean. San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials are still investigating the fatal motorcycle accident and say they don't know what caused it. Officials say alcohol was not a factor.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Gregory Lee Helton for their heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to all those who knew and loved Helton. He apparently had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan in December and was preparing for a seventh deployment to the Middle East. Tragic! Please keep U.S. Marine Gregory Lee Helton's family, friends and Marine brothers in your prayers.

According to the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were no fatalities, but eight injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Yucca Valley in 2007. During the same year, in all of San Bernardino County, there were 28 deaths and 627 injuries involving motorcycle accidents.

Based on this newspaper report, it is unclear how exactly this motorcycle versus car accident took place. Was Dean making a turn? Was Helton's Harley Davidson rear-ended? Did he hit Dean from behind? There is any number of possibilities and I trust traffic investigators will conduct a detailed investigation, which should provide more information about what happened here.

The family of Gregory Lee Helton would be well advised to consult with an experienced California motorcycle accident attorney who will help them determine the facts and make sure the negligent parties are held accountable. The best California personal injury attorneys always provide a free and comprehensive initial consultation.

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