Funeral set for Caseyville motorcyclist who died in Monroe Co. crash
A 73-year-old Caseyville man died in a two-vehicle collision in Columbia Saturday morning.
The accident happened at 11:27 a.m, on Illinois 3 at the intersection of North Main Street in Columbia. James Nix was transported to Mercy South in St. Louis, where he later died, police said.
Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon said the man attempted a left-hand turn without yielding to oncoming traffic.
“What appears to have happened, based on witnesses and cameras, we have is a 1994 Harley-Davidson going southbound on Route 3 that attempted to turn left at North Main Street,” Donjon said.
A 21-year-old man from Waterloo was coming northbound in the other lane driving in a 2003 Oldsmobile. He had the green light when Nix turned into his lane.
An Illinois State Police traffic reconstruction unit assisted Columbia with the investigation.
According to an obituary from Kassley-Meridith Funeral Home, Nix was “a simple man” who loved music, his motorcycles and his friends and family. He was a drummer in multiple bands, the obituary said.
“A drummer through and through, he played in—and even started—several local bands over the years. When he wasn’t behind the drum kit, he was in the garage—buying, restoring, and selling motorcycles, only to start the process again with the same excitement each time. He had a true gift for working on bikes and never hesitated to lend a hand to a friend who needed help fixing theirs.”
A visitation will be held Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kassley-Meridith Funeral Home in Caseyville. The funeral, also at the funeral home, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
