Father killed in Dallas motorcycle crash, 11-year-old son critical

A father is dead and his young son is in critical condition after a chain reaction crash.

38-year-old Mesquite resident Robert Meeks and his 11-year-old son, Michael were on the back of a motorcycle, just after 7pm, Thursday. They had stopped at a red light near White Rock Lake, when another car hit them.

Dallas Police say the crash happened because a driver was speeding and ran a red light. That driver hit an SUV, and went airborne, coming down on their motorcycle before striking a van.

People came running to their aid. One of them was Lance Gates.
 
"All of a sudden, we just heard a crash, so loud that it shook the house," he said.

Gates jumped into action, grabbing towels and a fire extinguisher, and then ran into the intersection of Mercer Dr. and Buckner Blvd.

"Clothes were everywhere, items were everywhere, people were everywhere. It wasn't a good scene," he said.

Gates likened the sight to a movie. He and others tended to the woman in the SUV, the father and son thrown off their bike and the driver of Chevy Malibu that caused the accident. Gates says they had one message for the boy.

"Not today. Everybody was saying no not today, not today. We're going to get you out of here, not today,"

All five people were taken to hospitals, but Robert Meeks did not survive. His family declined an interview Friday, but said they find comfort knowing he passed doing something he loved, riding his motorcycle and spending time with one of his four children. The family says Michael was wearing a helmet and is expected to survive.

Dallas Police say the driver of the Malibu will be charged with manslaughter once he's out of the hospital. His passenger is in critical condition.

The woman in the expedition was transported for internal injuries. Dallas city Councilman Mark Clayton says Buckner is a TXDOT freeway, but that Mercer/Buckner intersection is a dangers area. He is pushing for more stop lights around the intersection and lower speeds.