Rider hit by car and killed

[Indy Dave]

This happened two weeks ago. It's difficult to tell exactly what happened, as the two reports (below) tell differing stories. I *think* this is something we've discussed in the past, but maybe something can be taken away from this tragedy. This is a State Highway that runs through his town. In this area, it's 3 lanes, one for each direction and a center turning lane

 

1) If, as the first report states, he passed a van(!) that was turning right into a parking lot, one can't help but wonder how he thought that maneuver was safe - even if in a car.

 

2) If the car pulling out of the parking lot turned left across his path AFTER the van turned in front of him, then likely he was traveling to close. Hard to tell his lane position.

 

Either way, it seems like poor situational awareness and/or poor judgment. Both of these scenarios point to novice rider. I assume these situations are covered in mandatory MSF classes, yes? ( I got my license back when you just needed to pass a skills test in the early 80's.

 

Authorities say an eastern Indiana city's fire chief died over the weekend after his motorcycle was hit by a car.

Police say a car pulling out from a Walmart parking lot hit Portland Fire Chief Matt Aker's motorcycle as he drove past another vehicle. The car's driver told officers she didn't see the motorcycle.

The 34-year-old Aker suffered head and internal injuries and was pronounced dead at a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was taken after Saturday's crash in the city about 30 miles northeast of Muncie.

Aker had been a Portland firefighter since 1997 and chief since 2005.

Area homeland security task force commander Shannon Henry tells The Star Press that Aker dedicated his life to serving the public.

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According to the crash report, Aker was traveling westbound on Ind. 67 on his Harley Davidson Sportster Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a Chevrolet Impala being driven by Doris A. Muhlenkamp, 64, of Portland.

Muhlenkamp told officers she was facing south looking to turn eastbound from the Portland Walmart parking lot onto Ind. 67 when she saw a white van headed westbound on 67 turning into the shopping center's parking lot.

Muhlenkamp, according to the report, did not see Aker's motorcycle behind the van and collided with it, ejecting Aker from the bike. Aker suffered fatal head and internal injuries.

[MotorinLA]

This happened two weeks ago. It's difficult to tell exactly what happened, as the two reports (below) tell differing stories. I *think* this is something we've discussed in the past, but maybe something can be taken away from this tragedy. This is a State Highway that runs through his town. In this area, it's 3 lanes, one for each direction and a center turning lane

 

1) If, as the first report states, he passed a van(!) that was turning right into a parking lot, one can't help but wonder how he thought that maneuver was safe - even if in a car.

 

2) If the car pulling out of the parking lot turned left across his path AFTER the van turned in front of him, then likely he was traveling to close. Hard to tell his lane position.

 

Either way, it seems like poor situational awareness and/or poor judgment. Both of these scenarios point to novice rider. I assume these situations are covered in mandatory MSF classes, yes? ( I got my license back when you just needed to pass a skills test in the early 80's.

 

Authorities say an eastern Indiana city's fire chief died over the weekend after his motorcycle was hit by a car.

Police say a car pulling out from a Walmart parking lot hit Portland Fire Chief Matt Aker's motorcycle as he drove past another vehicle. The car's driver told officers she didn't see the motorcycle.

The 34-year-old Aker suffered head and internal injuries and was pronounced dead at a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was taken after Saturday's crash in the city about 30 miles northeast of Muncie.

Aker had been a Portland firefighter since 1997 and chief since 2005.

Area homeland security task force commander Shannon Henry tells The Star Press that Aker dedicated his life to serving the public.

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According to the crash report, Aker was traveling westbound on Ind. 67 on his Harley Davidson Sportster Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a Chevrolet Impala being driven by Doris A. Muhlenkamp, 64, of Portland.

Muhlenkamp told officers she was facing south looking to turn eastbound from the Portland Walmart parking lot onto Ind. 67 when she saw a white van headed westbound on 67 turning into the shopping center's parking lot.

Muhlenkamp, according to the report, did not see Aker's motorcycle behind the van and collided with it, ejecting Aker from the bike. Aker suffered fatal head and internal injuries.

 

Easy to see how this one could have happened. The Chief is riding behind the van. He may have closed the distance to the van when it slowed for the right turn. Doris sees the van, assumes it's clear, because she doesn't see anyone behind the van and pulls out. Bad judgement on his part and her part. Sad.

 

Unrelated / another rider dead:

Motorcycle crash in a neighboring municipality over the weekend. Female rider, possibly on a GS, traveling on a wide city street, some time after midnight. Driver in a car makes a U-turn from the curb into her path. Helmet strap not secured. Helmet comes off during crash. Likely fatal head injury. Driver blows just under legal limit. Motorcyclist in high gear, suggesting high speed. Possibly with alcohol on board as well. Sad.

[beemerman2k]

Unrelated / another rider dead:

Motorcycle crash in a neighboring municipality over the weekend. Female rider, possibly on a GS, traveling on a wide city street, some time after midnight. Driver in a car makes a U-turn from the curb into her path. Helmet strap not secured. Helmet comes off during crash. Likely fatal head injury. Driver blows just under legal limit. Motorcyclist in high gear, suggesting high speed. Possibly with alcohol on board as well. Sad.

 

This is a sadly common situation.

 

I was riding behind a friend on California's PCH (where this kind of thing is very common) a few years ago when we came upon a chain of parked cars on the side of the road. He wisely slowed his VFR, and likewise, I slowed my RT behind him, then suddenly a Mercedes Benz shoots out from his parking spot and U-Turned right in front of him -- just like that. Later, when we finally arrived at our destination, I congratulated him for listening to his wise and well seasoned intuition that he was approaching an area of unforseeable dangers and therefore exercised extreme caution. He got to safely ride home once again that day

[Survived-til-now]

Just this evening as I commenced my ride home I saw a large 4-wheel drive pull out of a car park right into the path of a motorcyle who only avoided it by swerving into the other lane...

nearly happened to me a few weeks ago - and that is people pulling out of the multi-storey staff car park on a hospital site - unbelievable.

 

The I followed a car that slowed behind two cylists struggling up a steep hill (a dad and a three/four year old). Rather than wait he pulled out on a blind bend just as a car came down the hill. Fortunately, somehow they missed but I had started braking as soon as I saw him pull out, it was so obvious what could (and was) about to happen.

 

It's becoming a lottery out there

[Indy Dave]

I guess the unsaid point of my post might be that we often get on our bike to enjoy a ride and relax in a sense, getting a break from whatever. But riding well is exhausting in and of itself, constantly scanning far ahead while keeping an eye not only behind you, but also for smaller road hazards just ahead that don't get picked up by the long range scan.

 

And as riding can be exhausting, it's easy to let our guard down unknowingly. And knowingly.

 

[Danny S]

That's oh so true. Keeping on top of every thing that can happen takes a lot of energy.