Man charged in motorcycle-crash death of his son

A Joplin man is facing a felony charge alleging he was driving drunk Sept. 3 when he crashed the motorcycle he was using to drive home, killing his 8-year-old son and putting himself in the hospital.

Cory Duane Fraser, 40 at the time of the accident, was charged in state District Court in Havre with vehicular homicide under the influence. The defense and prosecution have requested his arraignment hearing, in which he would be asked to enter a plea, be held Friday, Dec. 9.

According to the charging document, Fraser and his son, Dawson Fraser, had dinner at a restaurant in Inverness, Saturday, Sept. 3, leaving to return to Joplin about 8:30 p. m. driving his Honda XL600R motorcycle.

Cory Fraser told investigating officers he had drank some beer starting about 5:30 p. m. that day before going to Inverness to have supper with his son and had two or three more beers while at the restaurant. He estimated he had consumed about five beers in the three hours before the crash.

According to the document, hospital records show his blood alcohol concentration that night at. 181, more than twice the legal limit.

Fraser started taking his son home from Inverness using a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway service road on the north side of the railroad tracks.

According to the charging document, Fraser failed to drive his motorcycle around an embankment at the base of a railroad signal tower, striking the embankment.

The motorcycle, with Fraser and his son, flew through the air 54 feet before it struck the ground, throwing them both from the vehicle.

Dawson Fraser sustained head injuries and died at the scene. Cory Fraser sustained disabling injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.