I don't know how hard he was hit, but it's very possible that a helmet may not have saved him, though it certainly would have improved his chances. It is possible that mirrors could have prevented the tragedy too. In the dark, he probably wouldn't have been able to see the furniture sticking out, but he may have been able to determine that the pass would be too close which might encourage him to drift over.

Riding in the dark with no lights is just plain stupid. I would guess he probably wasn't wearing anything to help him be seen like reflective clothing.

Despite my paranoia, I ironically almost got wrecked last night by a pickup towing a bush hog. Those things are wide but very low. I normally don't look low behind me, but I wouldn't have been able to see it anyway in the dark. Anyway, this gizmo was about crank high and I was missed by just a few inches. Getting nipped by that at 55-60 mph would have been very bad.

I often wonder if it's a matter of time. I pretty much have everything I need, so I'm just going to ask my wife for a road ID this Xmas. I have a feeling it will come in handy someday.