Canton man killed in motorcycle crash after struck by car

STARK COUNTY, Ohio — Editor’s note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.

A 32-year-old Canton man died in the early hours of Monday morning after his motorcycle was struck by a car.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Joeallen Meeley was driving a 2006 Yamaha  V-Star Motorcycle west on Southway Street in the area of Stardale Avenue in Perry Township when the rear of his motorcycle was hit struck by a 2016 Dodge Charger. Meeley, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and onto the roadway and sustained fatal injuries on the scene.

The driver of the car, 30-year-old Joshua Gibson of Massillon, was not wearing a seatbelt. After hitting the motorcycle, the car continued off the right side of the roadway and through a fence before hitting a dirt embankment and coming to a final rest.

Gibson was transported to Mercy Hospital, where he was evaluated, before being booked into the Stark County Jail and charged with assured clear distance ahead, operating a vehicle impaired, aggravated vehicular homicide and seatbelt. Drugs and alcohol are suspected to be involved in the incident, which occurred around 3:00 a.m. on Monday, July 5. The crash remains under investigation.