Riverside motorcycle crash kills father: ‘a bright light in this dim world’
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A Platte County motorcyclist is dead after trying to pass a commercial truck Wednesday morning in Riverside, Missouri, the sheriff’s office said.
Michael Wolcott, 33, of Riverside, Missouri, died after his 2024 Kawasaki motorcycle collided with a tractor trailer, according to a news release from Capt. Jeffrey Shanks, a spokesperson for the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.
Wolcott was driving the motorcycle south on Northwest Mattox Road “at a high rate of speed,” according to Shanks. Wolcott allegedly tried to pass the tractor trailer, which was trying to turn left into a driveway, according to Shanks.
The tractor trailer and the motorcycle collided. Wolcott’s motorcycle left the road and hit a pole, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Riverside Police Department responded at approximately 9 a.m., before handing the investigation to the Sheriff’s Office 30 minutes later, according to police.
Wolcott was taken to a hospital, where he died, Shanks said. The driver of the tractor trailer was uninjured and was free to leave the scene, according to the news release. The Star is not naming the driver of the tractor trailer, as they have not been charged with a crime.
Condolences poured in on social media for Wolcott, who went by Mike. His Facebook bio reads, “Proud dad. Has the zoomies.”
A fundraiser for Wolcott’s family received almost $2,500 in the first six hours.
A former coworker at Red Bull wrote, “They were more than just someone we worked with every day — they were a kind, dependable, and genuine person who made a lasting impact on everyone around them.”
On Facebook, a friend wrote, “This man was a bright light in this dim world, and would give the shirt off his back if it meant helping someone.”
