[1] Hurt graduated from Texas A&M University in 1950, and was an air transport pilot for the United States Navy during the Korean War.
In 1976–1977, Hurt and his team at USC performed 900 on-scene, in-depth motorcycle crash investigations and compiled data from 3,600 police reports.
This large data collection effort led to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 1981 Hurt Report, leading to evidence of the usefulness of motorcycle helmets.
"[4] In 2006, reflecting on the report, Hurt stated, "The current problem is older riders, bigger bikes and alcohol.
[7] Hurt died of a heart attack at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center on November 29, 2009, at the age of 81.