Monster truck driver who set Guinness world record dies in bike crash, MO cops say
An iconic monster truck driver considered by many to be among the best ever in his field died in a Missouri motorcycle accident, authorities say.
The driver, identified in media reports as 61-year-old Dan Runte, was operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle in Franklin County on Sept. 5 when he was struck by the driver of a Chevy Traverse making a left turn, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Runte, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Highway patrol said the 40-year-old SUV driver was hospitalized with “moderate” injuries.
Runte’s death was confirmed by Monster Jam, which called him a “trailblazer” in the industry.
Beginning his career in 1989, Runte raced for the Bigfoot 4X4 team and won his first Driver of the Year award in 1992. By 2008, he had won the award eight times.
His claim to fame came in 1999 when he earned a Guinness World Record by driving his monster truck 202 feet over a Boeing 727 plane.
He went on to set another world record in 2012, when he jumped a monster truck 214 feet.
“Dan wasn’t just a driver — he was the embodiment of the sport’s raw power, daring spirit, and unbreakable passion,” Vincent Anthony, who considers himself a “monster truck enthusiast,” wrote on his blog. “As the monster truck community mourns, we pause to celebrate a man who left an indelible mark on arenas, records, and hearts around the world.”
Runte had a wife and three daughters, according to Anthony.
The Bigfoot 4X4 team said Runte is “widely considered to be the best that the monster truck industry has ever seen.”
“But most importantly, he was a good man,” the team said on Facebook. “There isn’t another person who jumped further, went faster and won more races and championships. Dan was what everyone wanted to be as a driver.”
Franklin County is about a 60-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Monster truck driver who set Guinness world record dies in bike crash, MO cops say."