A motorcyclist was killed recently after hitting a curb. The rider was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries in the crash. The story highlights the vulnerability a motorcyclist faces while enjoying a bike ride on any California street. The story has more to it than the motorcyclist just hitting a curb. In this story, the motorcyclist was reacting to the alleged driving conduct of another motorist when he struck the curb.
Motorcycle accidents in California can occur when a driver makes a move that endangers a nearby motorcyclist. Police say the 46-year-old Palm Desert man was trying to evade a delivery truck that apparently made a U-turn just as the rider approached. The motorcycle rider attempted to swerve to avoid slamming into the delivery truck. That is when the motorcycle tire struck the curb, resulting in a tragic fatal motorcycle accident, according to police.
Law enforcement says the big-rig delivery truck driver stopped briefly after the accident, and then fled the scene. However, police were able to get information about the Cathedral City motorcycle accident through surveillance videos from neighborhood businesses.
The motorcycle accident investigation began after police received a call reporting a motorcycle overturned in an intersection with no rider in sight. Law enforcement found the rider’s body on the other side of a nearby fence.
The truck driver faces felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter charges after the fatal motorcycle accident.
Motorcyclists and bicyclists alike often face dangers on California roadways. While the news of cellphone use and other forms of distracted driving remain plentiful, riders often face dangers from inattentiveness of drivers. Motorcycle accidents, and bicycle accidents alike, can occur when a motorists just does not see, or look for, a rider.
Source: The Desert Sun, “Driver arrested in motorcyclist’s Cathedral City death,” Kate McGinty, Oct. 27, 2011
