Missing Texas Man Found Dead After Dirt Bike Crash Near Prince in Fayette County

A search for a missing man came to a heartbreaking end in Fayette County this week, along a quiet stretch of Route 41 near the railroad station at Prince, deep in the New River Gorge country so many of us call home.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office says 35-year-old Paul Alexander Kirkland of Caddo Mills, Texas, was found dead Thursday morning. Kirkland had been reported missing in neighboring Raleigh County, and the sheriff's office says it was notified of that missing person report Thursday morning.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, a CSX employee walking the railroad tracks found Kirkland near the Prince train station.

According to the sheriff's office's preliminary investigation, Kirkland was riding a dirt bike northbound on Route 41 sometime Wednesday night when he lost control coming out of a curve near the tracks. The bike struck a tree, and Kirkland was thrown from it. He suffered fatal head and neck injuries. Investigators say he was not wearing a helmet.

One of the hardest parts of this story is how long he lay undiscovered. The sheriff's office says the crash went unnoticed overnight because Kirkland and the debris from the wreck ended up well off the roadway, out of sight of anyone passing by.

The crash remains under investigation. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office extended its condolences to Kirkland's family and loved ones, and we join them in that. Whatever brought him to these hills, he had people who were looking for him, and our hearts go out to every one of them.

Anybody who has driven Route 41 down toward Prince knows the road: tight curves, steep hillsides and thick woods that can swallow a car or a bike just a few feet off the pavement. This time of year, with early darkness and wet leaves on the blacktop, those curves ask even more of the folks who ride them.

So if you ride, whether it's a dirt bike, an ATV or a motorcycle, please wear the helmet, every time, even for a short trip. Let someone know where you're headed and when you expect to be back. And if you see something off the side of the road that doesn't look right, it never hurts to stop or call it in.

We'll share more if the sheriff's office releases additional details. For now, please keep Paul Kirkland's family in your thoughts and prayers tonight.