Accident Reconstruction Network > News >September 2008

Accident Reconstruction News Article

Speed factor in fatal accident
Friends recall motorcyclist's passion for family, work

A day after Kacey MyxJordan Justus died in a motorcycle crash, those who knew him still talked of him in the present tense as they remembered his passion and universal appeal.

"Kacey would find the good in anything and make it better," said Denny Woolheater, general manager of Sears, where Justus worked since 1998.

Justus, 29, was riding his 2005 Honda motorcycle west on 49th Street at 7:40 a.m. Monday when he struck an eastbound Ford Taurus as it turned north into Empire Place, according to Sgt. Galen Smidt.

Justus had a valid license, but he was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at the scene, Smidt said.

"All indications are that the speed of the motorcycle was definitely a factor in this crash," Smidt said. "It does not appear that alcohol was a factor."

The driver of the Taurus was Michael Sebastian. He had his wife and two grandchildren with him in the car, Smidt said. Sebastian and his passengers were wearing seat belts and were not injured.

Police continue to reconstruct and analyze the accident, he said.

Justus' wife, Amber, could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Justus was passionate about his wife and their five children and his life's work in sales, said John Januszka, a friend and co-worker at Sears.

He also had a knack for making others laugh.

"He had a comedy about him," Januszka said. "He had a little Chris Rock in him. He's going to make you laugh whenever you needed him."

Friends compiled a list of descriptions that they confessed still fell short of the full man: dancer and dance teacher, disc jockey, hunter, fisherman, martial artist and automotive enthusiast.

"Whatever he chose to do, he was all in," Woolheater said. "And he was about doing it smart, and doing it safe."

Services for Justus will be at the Miller Funeral Home in Sioux Falls at 2 p.m. Thursday. Additional services and burial will be held in Omaha.