Fatal accident
ANNA — Two people lost their lives in a motorcycle crash Monday night rural Collin County.
Police said 26-year-old Ryan Lorenz, of Anna, lost control of his motorcycle while taking a sharp turn on westbound FM 455 near County Road 287 at around 8 p.m. west of Anna. The motorcycle slammed into a pole and then landed in a ditch. Lorenz and a female passenger, 29-year-old Jennifer Chennault of Ladonia in Fannin County, were killed almost instantly.
Anna police said although high speeds may have been a factor, they said they found no evidence such as skid marks that Lorenz was driving over the posted 55 mph speed limit.
"I think the crash was a result of a sharp turn the driver failed to negotiate correctly," said Sgt. Jeff Caponera, an Anna police spokesman. "And, even though he wasn't speeding, he probably would have needed to slow down to negotiate the curve correctly."
FM 455 was closed to traffic during the investigation.
Police said no one actually witnessed the crash, but someone called police after driving by and seeing the motorcycle in the ditch at about 7:40 pm.
Employees at Southwest International Trucks along North Central Expressway in McKinney had a tough day. They said Lorenz worked in the shop there as one of their technicians. Lorenz's boss told News 8 he was a very talented and knowledgeable employee.
Police said Chennault was a mother who leaves behind a 6-year-old son. Police also said her immediate family is really suffering, especially her father who is now dealing with the death of a second daughter.
Grieving family members arrived at the crash site today, clearly upset and not wanting to comment to News 8. Before leaving, they nailed a cap to a tree in the area where the victims were found.
E-mail cvega@wfaa.com
