A motorcyclist was killed after he struck a deer on B&B Road on Friday night in Claremont.  

Jerry Lynn Bumgarner, 54, was pronounced dead on the scene after a deer crossed his path while he was traveling south on B&B Road.  The accident happened about 11:15 p.m. just two miles south of Claremont, according to the report.

The impact of the collision threw him from the motorcycle.Bboth Bumgarner and the motorcycle landed in the southbound lane.

It’s the first animal related wreck resulting in a fatality this year, Highway Patrol Sgt. Terry Robinson said.  Between Jan. 1 and April 30 there have been a total of 52 accidents involving animals, from deer to rabbits.  Three of those resulted in injuries.

Trooper C.M. Trouille noted the helmet Bumgarner was wearing was “non compliant” with the North Carolina Department of Transportation standards.  In 2007, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 563 motorcycle helmets requiring a thick inner liner, a sturdy chin strap secured with rivets. The style also may not extend more than two-tenths of an inch away from the helmet.

Robinson said Bumgarner was wearing a small helmet without proper reinforcement.  He said the law now requires the helmet to have an NCDOT sticker secured under the enamel of the helmet certifying the helmet

The accident happened a short distance from the man’s home at 2521 B&B Road.