An update to our earlier Flash Alerts on this tragic incident:
From Contra Costa CHP
This morning at about 6:43am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a two vehicle collision involving a motorcycle on SR-242 southbound, just south of Concord Avenue. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, the driver (37yr old male from Brentwood) had been ejected from the motorcycle and was trapped under the Infiniti SUV and unresponsive. Once the rider was removed from under the SUV, medical personnel on scene declared him deceased. The Contra Costa Costa County Sheriff’s Coroners office will be handling the release of the identity of the male rider killed.
In the initial investigation, it appears that the rider of the motorcycle (Harley Davidson Road King) was splitting lanes between the #1 and #2 lanes of SR-242 southbound in heavy traffic. For an unknown reason, the rider quickly slowed, causing him to veer right into the #2 lane, where he collided his motorcycle into the back of the Infiniti. He was ejected off the motorcycle aand launched under the Infiniti. The driver of the Infiniti (pregnant adult female) stopped but unfortunately the rider remained trapped underneath the SUV. Due to the rider being crushed underneath the SUV, after he was removed from under it, he was pronounced deceased on scene.
The pregnant female driver of the Infiniti was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek for precautionary reasons only and was not injured.
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs are a factor in this collision, as it is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980. Thank you.
Terrible.
RIP
Thoughts for his family.
I think we need a cross hill for all the casualties indirectly caused by overdevelopment. I see the potential for this sort of thing to happen every Monday through Friday and it breaks my heart that this is how we are forced to live if we wish to remain in the Bay Area.
How sad and tragic. Lane splitting should be illegal.
Lane splitting is far safer than sitting in traffic. Motorcycles get lost in the vehicle directly in front of them and the vehicle coming up from the rear doesn’t see them. Bikes need to keep moving.
Explain that to the family of the deceased how “safe” lane splitting is. Isn’t it still illegal in the other 49 states? It’s illegal for a reason.
The fallacy of your argument is it takes this single incident, which none of us behind our phone screens have seen the actual PCF for, and applies it to broad sweeping topic. Could this guy have been saved by not splitting lanes? Maybe. Could 4 more people have been killed because they were rear ended in traffic because they couldn’t split lanes? Also entirely possible. We don’t know if this rider was operating within what the state has now defined “safe” to split lanes. If he was splitting lanes at 95 mph, on the rear tire, while standing on the pegs, we probably could agree he was in the wrong. But that would also be illegal under the California law passed no so long ago.
Lane splitting might be “safer” to someone on a bike, but it’s not safer for those of us who are driving, and it’s the driver who will HIT AND KILL YOU. Car vrs. bike – the car will win EVERY TIME.
Once again – it’s illegal in 49 out of 50 states for a reason.
If 49 states jumped off the roof, would that make it smart?
Once again, lane splitting has been shown, by a U.C. Berkeley study, to reduce fatalities: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2016/06/30/california-motorcyclists-look-crazy-splitting-lanes-maybe-we-should-follow-their-lead/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.81dbf4c5e036
As a good driver, I applaud lane splitting and have never been spooked by it. It is obvious that it is safer for motorcyclists to keep moving in stalled, stop-and-go highway traffic. As the article I linked states, “The most negative reaction usually comes from angry drivers in cars. For them, it’s not only startling to have a motorcycle whiz by so close, it can seem dangerous. And some car-bound motorists just don’t like it that motorcyclists are cutting to the head of the line.” I suspect that’s the case here. In fact, it is safer to those of us in cars.
I don’t care if they cut to the head of the line. If I go to switch lanes (which is normal – not an angry move) and a lane splitter is approaching, I can hit and kill the person. I don’t care to do that. It’s a safety issue to me, and I think lane splitting is dangerous.
After all, the guy died.
There are also many studies that show how dangerous and stupid lane splitting is. I don’t need to post links to support my argument. Sadly, the man is dead.