Motorcyclist killed after good Samaritan stops to help during I-85 crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — State troopers had to block a portion of Interstate 85 early Monday morning following a crash that killed a motorcyclist.

[IMAGES: Deadly motorcycle crash on I-85]

The wreck happened around 1:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes near Graham Street in north Charlotte.

Troopers told Channel 9 that the driver of a Mercedes ran off the road and hit a disabled truck on the right side of the interstate. That collision sent debris into the travel lanes and a motorcyclist hit it and wrecked, according to troopers.

#BREAKING: I-85 SB is CLOSED at Graham St. due to fatal crash. Update coming up at 4:30 on @wsoctv #cltraffic #clttraffic #clt pic.twitter.com/fT2DNe5iyZ
— Traffic Team 9 (@TrafficTeam9) May 7, 2018

He was thrown from his bike, but a good Samaritan saw what happened and stopped to help the injured man, pulling him onto the left shoulder of the interstate, investigators said.

Troopers said that as the good Samaritan was running back to move his car out of the road, a tractor-trailer saw the vehicle at the last second and swerved to avoid hitting it, and struck and killed the motorcyclist.

The victim was later identified as Michael McDowell.

Paramedics told Channel 9 that one other person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.