The rate of motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities in Southern California is unacceptably high. In many cases, motorcycle accidents occur because other drivers don’t keep an eye out for these smaller vehicles.
For instance, it is common for motorcyclists to unavoidably crash into cars and trucks as these larger vehicles make a reckless left turn across oncoming traffic. In other cases, drivers may not look carefully while backing out of a driveway or parking spot and they move directly into the path of a motorcyclist.
Late last month, a young motorcyclist and Oakland native was killed in a crash with a sport utility vehicle in Hayward. According to news reports, the SUV was backing out of a driveway as the 24-year-old motorcyclist was approaching. The biker slammed on his brakes in an effort to avoid colliding with the other vehicle, but both he and the motorcycle were thrown against the side of the SUV.
The motorcyclist was rushed to the hospital but died that evening in the trauma center. The accident is still under investigation, and police do not suspect that the 38-year-old SUV driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.
Also under investigation is whether either motorist was at fault for the crash. Determining liability could be important, both for potential criminal charges and a potential wrongful death lawsuit.
This accident may very well have been an unavoidable tragedy. However, the crash scenario is a common one, and it illustrates the dangers motorcyclists face on California roads. In a collision between a motorcycle and a larger vehicle, the motorcycle always loses. That’s why car and truck drivers need to be especially attentive and always keep an eye out for motorcyclists.
Source: Patterson Irrigator, “UPDATE: Grayson man dies in Hayward motorcycle crash,” Mar. 7, 2013